Goodbye, Homeworld
by FedoraMike
Summary: Mike didn't particularly enjoy life on Homeworld, but when he receives an assignment from Yellow Diamond herself, he will have to return to a planet he hadn't been to in a long time: Earth. There he will meet Steven, an optimistic young boy who wants Mike to join him and the Crystal Gems. Will Mike succumb to the boy's kindness, or fulfill his mission and leave Earth to die?
1. Prologue

**{PROLOGUE}**

The Gems simply went about their business, doing their jobs, whether it be teaching newborn Gems, or those who worked directly under the Diamond Authority. While the low rank Gems did away at their work without a second thought, their was much more going on inside the walls of Yellow Diamond's Fortress, which, for you earth humans, can consider the Whitehouse of the Homeworld, where the leader/dictator, Yellow Diamond, made all of the decisions. She was the one who would send Gems to other planets, to exterminate the life there, build Kindergartens, and harvest Gems. She was the one who presided over any and all Govermental decisons, and she is the one who will gladly shatter your Gem to mere dust, should you disobey, fail orders too many times, and, the most common, if you are defective, or are succumbing to corruption. It doesn't matter how high rank you are, or even if you have a stable relationship with Yellow Diamond, if you show any, ANY signs of corruption, you are shattered. There is no other way.

There is no cure for corruption.

As for defects and disobeyers, they shall be publicly shattered as an example to all Gems what fate shall befall them should they go rouge.

...Or, should Yellow Diamond still find use of their powers, they shall be tortured in the most horrific ways possible, until they re-swear their alliegance to the Diamond Authority.

The most famous example of treason would be Rose Quartz.  
She was a Gem known by nearly every Gem in existence. She used to be one of the most kind, caring, and considerate Gems who ever lived.

But not all good things last forever. When the Homeworld stumbled onto a little blue planet, which was full of life, full of thriving creatures known as humans, Rose turned against Homeworld and built an army to protect the little blue planet from harm.

That planet, as you should know, is known as Earth.

The war lasted centuries, and many Gems perished on both sides. The Homeworld was confident that they would prevail, and take Earth as it's own, they had even managed to construct a Kindergarten there, but were never able to activate it.

Despite their bigger numbers, Rose's Army had succeeded in the war, forcing the Homeworld to retreat, and, due to the thousands of Gems that perished, were forced to wait over the centuries as the other Kindergartens they had established on other planets to restore their society.

The Homeworld soon recovered, and as the centuries went on, they had become more powerful than they had ever been before.

Technology advanced, Gems became smarter and smarter, and the Homeworld soon changed into a place that Gems from long ago would probably not even recognize the place.

But there was still one thing that hadn't changed: Treason means death or torture. And it would always be that way.

Gems would even be shattered at birth if the showed any signs of defectivness. There were Gems who would visit Kindergartens to collect fully formed Gems and bring them back to Homeworld, or, in the case they are defective or corrupted in any way...

Shattered.

However, there was one Gem who didn't exactly do their job as instructed.

And he was a defective Gem.

Not defected in the sense of treason, but in the sense of structure.

And his name is Mike.

While his Gemstone is actually Hematite, he prefers to go by Mike, for reasons nobody really knows.  
But he is flawed. Most Hematite Gems like him have the useful ability to copy themselves an almost limitless amount of times, which can be very useful in combat situations, or even be used for more efficient work.  
But Mike's Gem wasn't harvested correctly, and as a result, Mike, instead of his ability developing correctly, he developed a split personality.

It's sort of like how some Gems switch control when fused together.

His default personality was kind and considerate, but could also be a little reckless and careless, but will usually follow orders without question.

His other personality, however, didn't really care very much about anything, and just lazily lounges around, and only cares about doing missions if he finds any enjoyment factor in it. He didn't care about anybody but himself, and even hates Yellow Diamond. Not because of her harsh dictatorship, but because he finds her boring. Of course, he doesn't say it out loud, because that would result in instant shattering.

However, he is much better in combat then Mike is. Not because of superior strength, but because he finds so much more enjoyment in fighting, while Mike doesn't like to severly hurt people unless he has to, or if it's just training.

But that's all the backstory and history you need to know.

This is Mike: The New Crystal Gem.

It was a slow, uneventful day on the Gem Homeworld, as Mike boringly typed away on his screen, going through the records of newborn Gems.  
What Gem they are, what learning program they'll be submitted to, and whether or not they're corrupted or not.

His work however, was interrupted by an incoming transmission from Yellow Diamond herself. Mike was relatively surprised by this.

What could Yellow Diamond want with him? She only ever directly contacted a Gem under special circumstances.

He quickly rubbed the drowsiness from his eyes. Not from lack of sleep of course, but because he has been very overworked lately.

He pressed the 'Accept' button on the transmission, and immediatly Yellow Diamond popped up on the screen, her eerie yellow glow brightening the relatively dark room. Mike straightened up, and proceeded to salute his leader.

"Yellow Diamond." He said with slight enthusiasm.

"Hematite. I must speak with you face to face. Meet me in my quarters immediatly. Do NOT make me wait long." She stated in a stone cold voice that would send shivers down the spine of any Gem. And this was not a request. This was an order.

Mike flinched at the tone of her voice. Agitation. "Yes, My Lord." He replied, no questions asked. She was angry.

Yellow Diamond promptly cut the communication without any further words.

Mike then silently de-activated the screen. What could she want? Was he being punished for his work not being good enough?  
Had his split personality finally crossed the line? Yellow Diamond hasn't been this angry in a long time.

He quickly got up from his workplace and hurried out. He did NOT want to keep Yellow Diamond waiting when she was angry.

He closed the door behind him and made a quick sprint down to the Throne-Room. It wasn't exactly respectful to be running down these halls,  
but the punishment for that would be nothing compared to what Yellow Diamond would do to him for being late for a summon.

He slowed down to a crawl however when he reached the doors to the Throne-Room, which was guarded by two bulky Gems.

He didn't know their Gemstone, but quite frankly, he didn't care.

When Mike slowly approached the door, the two Gems looked down to him with mild disinterest, before moving out of the way for him.  
He walked right up to the door, and slowly and nervously pushed it open, and his anxiety was temporarily put aside at the amazing sight behind the door. The Throne-Room was made entirly made up of a Yellow Crystal, which was fashioned into chandeliers and statues all around the room,  
which gave off a beautiful, but slightly ominous glow. Mike stalked down the hall, a pristine yellow carpet under his feet as he walked, before coming to a stop, and bowing down on one knee.

"My Liege." He declared in a loud voice, to the figure that sat high upon their throne.

Yellow Diamond.

"Hematite." The Gem Overlord replied in a slight condescending tone. She knew Mike didn't like being called by his Gem. She knew it annoyed him. But she didn't care. She doesn't care for silly nicknames like Mike.

"You may rise." She stated. Mike looked up at her, before rising back up to both feet.

Yellow Diamond looked down on the lesser Gem. He was relatively short compared to her.  
His appearance, like most Gems, was very human-like. He had green eyes, and peach colored skin, unlike his Gem, which was black and smooth, and shined with little white dots all over it, which gave it a similar look to the starry skys of outer space.  
His Gem was placed on his upper chest, where he cut a hole in his shirt for it to be seen.

His clothing was... unusual for Gem standards. He wore an almost entire black outfit. He wore an un-zipped shirt which humans seem to refer to as a 'hoodie', as well as black pants and shoes, and perhaps the strangest part of his outfit, was a strange looking black hat that had a black ribbon wrapped around it, which he called, a "Fedora". Yellow Diamond didn't question it however, as clothing wasn't very imporant.  
The one part of his outfit that she didn't find odd, however, was his shirt. A red short-sleeved shirt that bore a big Yellow Diamond on it.

"It's an honor to be in your marvelous presence, My Lord." Mike stated.

"Skip the sucking up, Hematite." She snapped. "I have a mission for you. A special mission."

Mike, surprised by the hostility, replied. "A... a 'special' mission, my lord?"

"Yes. I'm sure you're aware that three Gems, Peridot, Jasper, and Lapis Lazuli were sent to Earth, correct?" She asked.

"Yes, Lord. Jasper was escorting... Peridot?" He asked.

"Correct. However, something seems to have gone wrong on their mission." She replied flatly.

"Gone... wrong? What do you mean?" He asked, slightly concerned. He didn't care much for Jasper, but Peridot was one of Mike's colleague's and Lapis Lazuli was a mere victim of Homeworld, taken prisoner after returning after centuries stuck on Earth.

"Well, after they left, communications with them were cut off for some reason, and I recently recieved this transmission from Peridot."

Yellow Diamond then proceeded to bring up a screen in front of her, and Peridot was on the screen, looking worn down for some reason.

She started the transmission.

"This is Peridot, transmitting from all frequencies from abandoned Crystal System on colony Planet Earth. To Yellow Diamond, my mission has been compromised. My escort and informant are gone, and I am now stranded. PLEASE SEND HELP!" She exclaimed before the transmission cut off.

"So you see the problem." Yellow Diamond said. "It seems those fools couldn't even handle a simple escort mission."

"So... they're stranded on Earth?" Mike asked, confused. It seemed unlikely that was the case, considering they had a Gem Warship, which would be indestructible to any Earth weapons.

"So it seems. The point is, I have a mission for you." She stated. "You are to travel to Planet Earth, find those idiots and bring them back here.  
You are also to find out why they are stranded there in the first place, and contact me as soon as you find out. Understood?"

Mike was surprised by this mission. Yellow Diamond rarely ever sent Gems to Earth other than Peridot, but she was sending him, of all Gems?

"U...understood, Yellow Diamond." Mike replied.

"Good. You are permitted to use one of the Warships to travel there, as the warp pad is still destroyed. Do not fail me." The Gem replied coldly.

Mike slowly turned his back to the Gem Overlord, and proceeded to head out.  
But he stopped first.

"Yellow Diamond?" He asked. "Why send me? There are plenty of way more capable Gems than me out there, but you send me instead. Why?

There was a silence. Mike turned back to Yellow Diamond.

"... Believe me, you were not the first Gem I'd ask, but most of those "capable" Gems are already assigned other tasks.  
You were just my only option. Do _NOT_ fail me, defect."

That word stung. It made Mike angry, being called something like that. Being a defective Gem was like being a challenged or deformed human,  
and being called one was one of the worst insults you could recieve on Homeworld.

But he didn't say anything. The last thing you wanted to ever do here was talk back to Yellow Diamond.  
He simply turned and exited the Throne-Room. He closed the doors, and leaned his body against it.

'Great. That's just goddamn great. I'm supposed to go alone to a Planet and search for _three_ Gems. A whole Planet! Who knows how long that will take? And what if something destroys my ship like Peridot's? Then I'll be stranded too!' Mike thought to himself.

"This is not going to be fun..." He groaned as he headed to the Warships. Indeed, it wouldn't be fun.

Or would it?


	2. Chapter 1: A New Threat?

**{DISCLAIMER!}**

 **Okay, to clear up any confusion in the Prologue, the Mike in this story is not the same Mike from Total Drama, he is his own character,**  
 **but the split personality was a bit inspired by that Mike. The name, however, was just a coincedence. Sorry for the confusion!**

Garnet sat down on the living room couch, after the exausting day she and the other Crystal Gems had, all she wanted to do was relax.

...But at the same time, she wanted to capture Peridot. She wasn't that concerned about Peridot before, as she was but a mere technician on Homeworld, but in the past few weeks, she proved that she is much more dangerous than they had thought before.

Not only had she almost killed them all on that Gem ship, several times, but she contacted Homeworld asking for help.  
So not only did they have to worry about a gigantic fusion at the bottom of the ocean that could escape any day, a Gem that has proved to be very dangerous to the Gems and Steven, but now they had to worry about the possibility of even more Gems coming to Earth, and Peridot would no doubt reveal the Gem's location, and put the Gems, Steven, and the whole planet in grave danger.

Who knows who Homeworld will send? Someone like Jasper? She had managed to take out all of the Gems with little to no effort.  
And what if they sent a whole team of Gems? They wouldn't stand a chance.  
But whoever they sent, Garnet and all the Gems knew more than anything that they would gladly give their lives to protect this planet.

And they would do it for her.

They would do it for _him_.

-  
{TWO WEEKS LATER...}  
-

"Come on, Pearl!" The short purple Gem, Amethyst complained. "The news is boring! Why can't we watch wrestling or something? There's never anything interesting on the news anyway!"

"Because, Amethyst, we need to know if anyone's seen Peridot around anywhere! And we've probably been wasting our search effort, seeing as how Peridot clearly wouldn't be at the communication hub after what happened before." The tall Gem replied.

"You really think some random person would just happen to spot her wandering around? Cause I think-

"Please halt whatever boring argument you might be having right now, for we have Breaking News!" The News Anchor interrupted the two Gems, bringing their attention back to the television screen.

"This just in, some random person just happened to spot an unidentified flying object a few hours ago!" The anchor exclaimed.

Pearl gave Amethyst a smug look.

"...Shut up." Amethyst muttered.

"No one knows what it is or what it's doing, but here is a picture of the vessel." The anchor continued before a picture of the UFO enveloped the whole screen.

Pearl nearly fell out of her seat, while Amethyst spit out the beverage she was drinking all over the carpet.

This UFO the anchor described, was a bright green in color, and while it was blurry due to the quality, they could make out the shape of a hand, clenched into a fist.

A Gem Warship.

"SAY WHAT?!" Amethyst shouted out loud, which caught the attention of Garnet in the next room.

"What's the problem." Garnet nonchalantly asked, entering the living room.

"Garnet? You need to take a look at this..." Pearl replied in a troubled tone.  
Garnet looked toward the TV, and almost took a double take at the image on the screen.

"Was this... recent?" Garnet calmly asked, but in a slightly unsettled tone.

"Just a few hours ago.." Pearl replied, her eyes still glued to the image, almost as if in a trance.

The three Crystal Gems stared at the image of the Warship. Had Homeworld actually recieved Peridot's transmission and send someone here?  
And more importantly, who? They barely made it out alive after their last experience with Homeworld Gems, and they definitely weren't prepared to deal with more of them.

"So they did receive her transmission..." Garnet said in a low voice.

"What are we going to do, Garnet?" Pearl asked, putting down the TV remote.

"Yeah, I mean, remember what happened the last time Homeworld Gems came here? How are we gonna stop them?" Amethyst asked.

"...I don't know." The fusion replied. For the first time in a long time, Garnet had absolutely _NO_ idea what they were gonna do.

And she had no idea what Gem or Gems they were facing were capable of.

No one did.


	3. Chapter 2: Dirty Deeds

_'Was it finally safe to come out?'_ Mike thought to himself as he peered out of the alleyway.  
He had been hiding out all day, as the humans had become suspicous after spotting his ship, forcing him to activate it's cloaking device and abandon it. Was this perhaps why Peridot lost her ship? To nosy humans?

He looked around, and to his relief, the streets were completely barren, as the humans had begun their night-long hibernation, meaning he didn't have to suspicously wander around searching for the Gems.

He was about to exit the alley and into the barren streets, and begin his long search, when he was stopped by a voice.

"Hey, buddy..." A low, gruff voice said, right behind him.

Mike whirled around and came face to face with someone. A Human!

Mike looked to his left, and then to his right, before his view returned to the man.  
He was taller than he was, so he almost towered over him.

He bore a long, black trenchcoat, as well as black pants, black boots, and black leather gloves.  
He gave a sort of smug smile, but his overall aura was... unsettling.

"Uuuh... hello?" Mike replied, leaning back a bit from the man.

"Kind of odd to be hanging around here at night, isn't it?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

'Has my cover been blown already?' Mike wondered nervously. Had this human found him out?

"That's a nice little Gem you got there..." He said, pointing to the sparkling black Gem in his chest. "Why don't you hand it over?"

'Hand it over?' Mike thought. This human wanted his Gem? Why? What could he possibly use it for?

"I... don't think so." Mike replied, taking a step back, putting a hand over his Gem. "It's very... important to me."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that..." The man said, before quickly grabbing Mike by his shirt collar. "Give me the Gem, buddy. NOW."

He suddenly got a grip on Mike's Gem, and tried to pull it out of his chest, which didn't really work too well, but did cause Mike some slight pain in his Gem.

"Jesus, do you have that thing glued to your chest or something?!" He exclaimed. "...Whatever, I can always cut it out..."

Suddenly, he pulled a shining silver blade out of his pocket, before holding it up to Mike's Gem.

"Just... walk... away..." Mike demanded through clenched teeth.

"Oh, please, a little shrimp like you doesn't scare me, what are you gonna do, shrimp? You gonna-

The man was quickly shut down after his head had been suddenly droven into a nearby dumpster.

"ARGH! WHY YOU LITTLE...!" He yelled, looking back up at the Gem.

And his blood ran cold when he saw his eyes.

They had gone from a normal shade of green to a dark, crimson red color, almost reminicent of blood.  
"W-what...?" He managed to utter, before he got a hard kick to the face.

"He told you to leave." Mike said, in a much lower voice, which would almost seem soothing, had the man not been hit in the head.  
"And you wouldn't." He said, reaching down and grabbing the man's collar, and lifting him high into the air.  
"And now? You're gonna have to deal with me, bitch."

"G-get away from me!" He yelled, holding up his knife. "I will stab you, don't think I won't! I don't care if-

He was cut off a second time when Mike grabbed his wrist with his left hand.

Mike glared back at the man, his red eyes glaring back into his blue ones.

No... not Mike's eyes. His split personality's eyes! This man had _NO_ idea what he had just done, and he was about to pay the price.

"Never bring a human weapon to a Gem fight!" He yelled, before twisting the man's wrist until the sickly sound of bones crunching could be heard, causing the mugger to drop his weapon to the ground and scream out in pain.

Mike then lifted him up even further, his deadly grip around the man's throat, tightening it, before bringing him down, smashing his back against the dumpster, before the man fell to his knees.  
He looked back up to his assailant, only to be met by another kick to the face, knocking him onto his back.

"This didn't have to happen. You could have walked. Saved pathetic, meaningless life. You humans really are just mindless apes." Mike said, kneeling down to the man, and picking up his knife. "You are scum of the Earth, you know that?"

"Y-y...you're a monster..." The man choked out.

"I'M a monster?" He laughed. "And this is coming from the mugger who would threaten lives for mere profit? No, I'm not a monster. YOU are the only monster here, I'm just doing this in self-defense, AND to make sure you never do this again."

"W-w-what are you doing!?" The man asked, trying to get up, but Mike stomped his foot down onto his chest, holding him down firmly.

"That's a nice blue eye you've got there..." He said, holding the knife up to the cowering mugger's left eye.

"Why don't you... hand it over?" He said, before raising the knife high above his head.

"Please, don't do this! I can change! I WILL change, I promise!" The man pleaded, clasping his hands together.

Mike almost pitied this fool. A few moments before, he was threatening both of them with a knife, but now here he was, begging for his life and crying all over himself. But he knew he wouldn't change. It's a simple trick used by any criminal, pretend they were sorry, and then return to crime the instant they thought they were safe.

Besides, he already knows too much...

"NOOOOOO!" The man screamed at the top of his lungs, before the knife was driven deep into his eye, straight on the pupil.  
His screams slowly faded away to silence, his entire body going limp, his arms falling to his sides. He was dead.

"There." Mike said, pulling the knife out of the man's eye, allowing a red, thick substance to pour out of his eye. Human Blood.

"One less criminal on this forsaken planet... I guess now I should... I should... I... What..." His voice faded as his eyes returned to his natural green color. The real Mike was back.

"I... you..." He started to say. "...WHAT DID YOU MAKE ME DO!?" He yelled out, dropping the knife to the ground and clutching his head.  
"I was saving our lives, idiot, that's what I was doing. "He replied to himself.  
"You killed a human! KILLED! MURDERED! YOU STABBED HIM IN THE HEAD! _I_ STABBED HIM IN THE HEAD!"  
"He was a criminal! He had no use on this planet if all he does is commit crimes!"  
"We could have just put him in a prison facility! Or a correctional facility! Anything but this! Mike, you-  
"I have told you this, MILLIONS OF TIMES, you like to be called Mike. I don't. I like to be called my real name, Hematite!"

Mike just stared down at the slaughter that Hematite caused. That he caused. A few hours on Earth and he'd already taken a human's life.  
He knew this wouldn't be fun, and he was convinced immediately.

"Now get out of here before someone sees this. The last thing we need is to be thrown in a jail ourselves." Hematite demanded.

"...Fine. Just... let me hide the body." Mike said before turning to the giant green disposal container, and opening the lid.

He looked back down at the criminal. That human may have almost hurt him, but he didn't want... this.  
He gently picked up the human's body, and proceeded to dump him into the container, and closed the lid.

"...I hate you, Hematite." Mike said in a hushed tone.  
"...The feeling's mutual. Now get out of here before someone sees us." Hematite replied.

Mike said nothing in response. He simply turned his back to the dumpster, and exited the alleyway, and into the quiet, nighttime streets.

And one thing Mike knew for sure, what happened in that alley, would haunt him for a long, long time.


	4. Chapter 3: PINK FROSTED SPRINKLED DONUTS

{THE FOLLOWING DAY...}

"Breaking News!" The news achor exclaimed, catching the attention of Steven Universe, who's eyes had been previously glued to his comic book.

"This just in, there has apparently been a murder in Beach City!" The anchor continued.

'A murder...?' Steven was surprised. As far as he knew, something like that had never happened in Beach City before. It was a small, peacful town, and nobody who lived here seemed like the type to... kill somebody. Had something like this really happened?

"The victim was identified as one David Travis, I known criminal across the state, who commited small robberies and muggings.  
He was found this morning by the local garbage man, when he was doing his weekly cleanup. He appears to have a stab wound in his left eye, and the apparent murder weapon was found nearby, and it appears to be his very own folding knife, as his initials seem to be carved into the handle. It's unlikely it was a suicide, as his body was hidden in a dumpster, and he couldn't have crawled in there himself. More details at six."

Steven couldn't believe this. Was there really someone so cruel that they'd take someone's life like that?  
And what really worried him was the possibility it could have been someone he knew. His friends wouldn't do that though, right?

Or maybe... could it have been done by... Peridot? Would she do something like that? She did try it against him and the Gems.

No, Steven didn't want to believe that. He knew there was good in her. She wouldn't just do that to a defensless human... right?

...This wasn't good.

========================================================================================================================== {MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE...}  
==========================================================================================================================

The gentle waves washed onto the soft sand, the beautiful ocean sparkling and shining like beautiful diamonds, the cool summer breeze whistling all across the beachside. Mike marveled at the sights. He hadn't been to Earth in so long, but the one thing he remembered more than anything was this marvelous view. Not everything was made of diamonds and other gems like it was on Homeworld, but this land,  
it didn't need any fancy buildings made of gems. It was just naturally beautiful. It made him feel at peace, just watching the ocean.

Definitely a better experience than last night. Yellow Diamond wouldn't care if he had to pick off a few humans to complete the mission, but..  
He's never killed in cold blood like that before. On Homeworld, Hematite has beaten weaker Gems within an inch of there lives in fights, but he's never actually killed anything...

...Well... actually, the-

"Hey there!" A voice rang out behind him.

"OH GOD NOT AGAIN!" Mike yelled, jumping back, covering him Gem with him hands protectively.

He looked down, and was surprised to see not an adult, but a child human looking back up at him.  
"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" The boy asked.

"...No, I just jump and scream like a maniac everytime someone talks to me." Mike replied sarcastically. "Of course you scared me!"  
The young boy flinched at his reaction. He must have scared him.

Mike took a deep breath. "...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you, ya' just... startled me." He apologized to the boy. He had forgot that human children had more fragile minds and feelings than adults.

The boy seemed to relax a little, and started rubbing the back of his head. "Hehe, yeah, I do that a lot. Like this one time, my friend Pearl was washing dishes, and I snuck up on her, and scared her, and she dropped a plate and it broke, and she got angry and I got in trouble." He said.

Mike stared back at the boy, bewildered. What was he talking about? Dishes and plates? What weird human device were those?  
"That's... great kid." Mike replied, before turning away. "Bye." He said, before starting to walk off.

"Hey! Where are you going?" The boy asked eagerly, following him.

Mike was slightly surprised the boy was following him. What could he possibly want?

"Why are you following me? I'm kind of busy right now." He replied, picking up his pace, while the boy did the same.

"Aw, come on! I just wanna ask you a few questions!" The child replied.

...Questions? Was this some form of interrogation? Following you around until you break?

Mike came to a stop. He turned back to the Earth child. "Depends... what questions?" He asked suspicously.

"Oh! Well, nothing too big, I just kinda wanna know who you are!" The boy replied, smiling.

...Did this boy suspect something? Or was he simply curious? Mike needed to tread carefully here.

"I'm... Mike." He replied. "Mike... Kennedy." If there was something he did learn when he last visited here, it was that humans always had two main names for themselves. First and last. Hopefully that hasn't changed since then.

"Cool, nice to meet'cha Mike Kennedy, I'm Steven Universe!" He exclaimed, holding his hand out to him.

"...What is this?" Mike asked, confused. He wasn't familiar with this gesture.  
Steven giggled. "What, you've never done a handshake before?"

...Oh, a handshake! Mike knew how to do that.

He reached his arm out, just like the child's, all his fingers spread out, and proceeded to shake his arm up and down.

The boy laughed again. "Hahaha! I take it you're not from around here, right?" He asked.

"Um... yeah. I'm foreign." Mike lied. Well, it wasn't technically lying, right?

"Cool, I don't know I lot of foreign people!... Okay, well, I actually know A LOT of foreign people, but..." His voice trailed off when his eyes came down to Mike's upper chest area, which he was still covering with one hand.  
"Hey, why are you holding your hand there like that? Are you hurt?" He asked with concern.

Mike suddenly remembered. His Gem lay behind his hand, and he hadn't taken his hand off it since he saw Steven.  
He didn't know about it yet.

"Oh, that's, uh, nothing." He said nervously. "Excuse me a second." Mike turned his back to Steven, and took his hand off of his Gem. He then proceeded to zip up his hoodie, which cleverly hid his Gem and Diamond shirt uniform. The less Steven knew, the better.

He turned back to Steven. "See? I'm fine, Steven. Nothing to worry about." He said, scratching the back of his head. "So, anyways..." He continued, trying to switch the topic of conversation. "As I said, I am foreign. I actually, uh, moved here very recently."

"Oh, really? Where do you live, in town, or just outside of town? Do you live in a barn or something?" He asked eagerly.

"Oh? Um, I actually... don't live anywhere right now." Mike replied. Was that a problem?

"What? So you don't have a home? Why not? That's like, the first thing you do when you move to a new town!" Steven said with slight worry.  
"Well, to be honest, Steven, I don't even really know my way around yet, so I-  
"Well that's no problem! I can show you around if you want!" The child eagerly offered.

Mike thought for a moment. This could maybe actually help him search for the Gems! He'd be with another human, who's showing him around town, so not only would he not look suspicous, but he'd also have Steven to help get his bearings on this town! This could be helpful.

"Alright, Steven. I'd like that, why don't you show me around this place?" He asked.

"Awesome!" Steven exclaimed, his eyes shining like stars, before promptly taking Mike by the hand. "We're gonna have so much fun,  
we'll go to the arcade, play games, I'll introduce you to my friends, it'll be awesome!" He said exitedly as he pulled Mike along with him down the beach shore, heading for the town.

'Arcade? Games? Friends?' Mike thought. Just what did this boy have in store for him?  
He said he wanted to be guided around town, not make friends with other humans! That's a complete waste of his time!  
He'd have to endure,though. He can't just say 'I don't care about meeting your friends, Steven. Just show me the town already.'  
And he definitely couldn't ask about Gems. Like he would know anything about that.

But if there was something he knew more than anything, it was two things. He couldn't let this boy or anybody else interfere in his mission, and more importantly, he could NOT get angry again. It was bad enough he killed an adult, but if Hematite made him kill a child, Gem or not, he would NOT be able to live with that.

Although as long as no one tried to take his Gem, he should be fine. Hopefully.

"So, here we are! Beach City!" Steven exclaimed as he and Mike reached the small town.  
Mike raised an eyebrow, looking down at the boy. "Beach City?" He asked.  
He gazed back at the beach.

"Oh. Because it's a city... and it's next to a beach... wow. Clever." He said in a caustic tone.  
"Well... is there something wrong with that?" Steven replied. He didn't think there was anything wrong with the city's name.

"Eh, forget it." Mike replied. "So anyways, what are you gonna show me first, Stanley?" He asked, looking around in many different directions, almost as if he was searching for something.  
And also getting the boy's name wrong.

"...My name's Steven..." The boy corrected the older figure. Had he heard him wrong before?  
"Right, so where are we going, Stefan?" He asked again, also getting the boy's name wrong a second time.  
Steven opened his mouth to correct him again, but then decided against it. He had a feeling this was the best he was going to get.

"Um... anyways, I think we should go to the Big Donut first! It's just right over there!" He said, pointing to the nearby building.  
The building was very big, and it's roof was decorated with a giant donut.  
It was usually the first place he would bring new friends.

"The... Big Donut...?" Mike asked, bewildered.  
"Yeah! It's where my friends Lars and Sadie work! They're really cool, you'll love 'em!" The boy replied enthusiastically, pulling the older male into the shop. Mike looked around curiously at the inside of the shop. There were all kinds of different donuts around the store, ranging from regular O-shaped ones, to jelly-filled ones.

"What in the name of the Yellow is all this...?" Mike asked, looking at some of the donuts.  
"What, you've never seen donuts before?" Steven laughed, walking up next to Mike.

"... No. Are they some kind of nuts, like peanuts?" Mike asked curiously, still eying the round treats.

Before Steven could answer, they were promptly greeted by a young woman behind the counter.

"Hey Steven! Who's your new friend?" She asked, looking from Steven to Mike.  
"Oh hey, Sadie! This is Mike, we just met today, and he's new to Beach City so I'm showing him around town, and I figured I'd start here!"  
The boy replied.

Mike looked up at the counter, at the woman. He looked down to Steven.  
"That's Sadie." He said.

"Hey there! Any friend of Steven's is a friend of mine." She greeted.

"Hi." Mike replied. "Nice... donuts."

"Well, we wouldn't sell em' if they weren't nice!" Sadie joked. "So, what can I get you two?" She asked.

"Two pink frosted sprinkle donuts, please!" Steven replied, before reaching into his pocket and taking out some money, before placing it on the counter.

"Coming right up!" Sadie replied, before crouching down and reaching into the display case where the donuts lay.

Meanwhile, Mike, who was now leaning one arm on the counter, brought his attention to Lars, who wasn't really paying attention.  
He elbowed Steven, catching the boy's attention.

"Who's he?" He asked, pointing to the teenager.  
"Oh, that's Lars! He works here to." He replied. "Hey Lars!" Steven greeted, waving to him.

Lars looked at Steven with a frown on his face, and frowned even more when he saw Mike.  
He looked up at the top of Mike's head.

"Nice hat." He snorted in a condecsending tone.

Mike looked up to his hat, frowning, before glaring back at Lars.

"Nice ears." He replied bluntly, which made Steven and Sadie giggle a little.

Lars looked mildly surprised by the insult, but that surprise turnt to mild annoyance.  
"Pfft, whatever." He replied, before storming into the backroom.

"Your friend's got a good sense of humor, Steven." Sadie said, handing Steven a bag of donuts. "Where'd you find him?"  
Steven laughed in response. "Thanks, Sadie."

"Anytime." She replied, ruffling up the boys hair.

"C'mon, Mike! Let's go somewhere else!" He said, to Mike, before heading towards the door, Mike following close behind.

"Thanks for the donuts, Sadie!" Steven thanked.

"Don't mention it. You and Mike are welcome anytime!" She replied, waving at the two as the went out the door.

"I don't like that Lars guy. He insulted my Fedora. I don't like it when people insult my Fedora, I hate it." Mike complained when they exited the store.

"He's not so bad when you get to know him!" The boy replied. "Heck, one time he was nice enough to let me work there!" He said, before he proceeded to take the two donuts out of the bag, which he then crumpled up and threw into a nearby dumpster.  
"...Facsinating." Mike replied, disinterested.

"Here Mike!" Steven handed one of the donuts to the taller human. "You'll love this! Pink frosting and sprinkles go great on donuts!"  
Mike stared blankly back at Steven, as if he had no idea what he had just said. But he took the donut anyways to humor the boy.

Steven then quickly took a bite out of his donut, and started chewing.  
Mike monitered the boy's movements closely.

He looked down to the pink donut in his hand, and began to mimic Steven's actions, taking a bite out of the sugary treat.  
His eyes went wide when the flavour instantly hit his tastebuds. He could taste the amazing flavor of the mix of dough, frosting, and sprinkles.  
He began chewing the piece of the donut, the delicous taste flowing through his mouth. By the look on his face, Steven could tell he had never tried a donut before.

"You like it?" The boy asked, although he probably knew the answer already.

"This is the coolest thing ever!" Mike replied enthusiastically opsimistic. _"Was this made by angels?!"_ He asked.  
Steven chuckled. He had never met someone who's so excited about something as simple as donuts.  
Perhaps it was because he wasn't from here?

"Heheh, no silly! Anyone can make a donut!" He replied.

"Really?" He asked curiously, taking another bite of his donut. "Have you done it before?"

Steven thought for a second.

"Uh... well, I tried, but in the end it ended up tasting like dirt and mud. I'm not so good at making things."  
"Huh, that sucks. So uh, where to now?" Mike asked, finishing off his donut and wiping his hands on his hoodie.

"I know just the place. Follow me!" Steven replied, finishing off his donut too.

 **And that's the end of chapter 3! Sorry if everything seems really slow, but as far as story goes, Steven and Mike both think the other are just regular humans, but I promise you stuff will pick up very soon, so please bear with me.**


	5. Chapter 4: A New Friend

The Crystal Gems steathily stalked through the tall grass, gently and quietly pushing it out of their way.  
Despite their slow movements, the grass still made a very audible rustling noise.  
They had been here before. This is precisely the same field they had been to when they found Peridot's escape pod way back when.  
But they prefered not to think about that night. Besides, right now they had to focus their efforts on finding the Warship they observed on the news. The town seemed unsettled by it's sudden appearance. The last time a ship like that came to their town, it had nearly destroyed them and the town, and even after the Gems destroyed it, the pieces from the ship rained all over the town, which took several days to clean up.

And it made everyone in town temporarily evacuate until the vessel was taken care of. Heck, everyone was prepared to evacuate again,  
had the ship not passed their town. Instead, it had gone in the direction the Gems were heading right now.

"Garnet?" Pearl quietly asked the tall fusion, slightly unsettled. "What do we do if we find the ship?" She was legitimately worried about the outcome, after their last encounter with Homeworld Gems.  
They were ruthless, especially Jasper. The had the audacity, the nerve, to knock out a defensless child like Steven and take them all prisoner,  
and then forced Lapis to fuse with her into Malachite, and almost succeeded in destroying them.  
In short, Pearl was not excited to deal with more Homeworld Gems. Especially not now.

"Assuming there's Gems," Garnet replied in a stoic tone, "then we have to see what we're dealing with. If they've sent someone like Jasper,  
then we work together to take them down. If it's someone like Peridot, then aside from any Gem Destabilizers, they should be quick work.  
If we're lucky."

"Yeah okay, but what if there's A LOT of them? There could be a whole group out there for all we know!" Amethyst asked, who was having the most trouble navigating the tall grass due to her short form.  
Amethyst seemed the most bothered at the possibility of more Homeworld Gems. Garnet and Pearl had assisted Rose in the war, playing quite big parts in it, but she herself was not created until long after the war was over, so other than Peridot and Jasper, Amethyst didn't have a lot of experience with Gems from Homeworld, but seeing how dangerous both Peridot and Jasper could be, the thought of a group of them arriving on Earth unsettled the hell out of her.

"Then we try to avoid them as much as we can. If they're just searching for Peridot and don't harm anyone, and Peridot doesn't expose us,  
then they should just take her and leave. But, if there are any signs at all that they plan on going after us or the town, then we evacuate the town like last time, and give them all we've got."

"But that's the thing, though. We can NOT take on a whole group of Gems on our own! Even if we fused into Alexandrite, they have those destabilizers that can probably take her out in one jab!"

"Relax, Amethyst. That's not gonna happen."

"...You sure?" She asked.

It was a good question. Was Garnet sure? She knew what they were potentially up against, yet she kept the same stoic attitude she always has. They all knew that they wouldn't stand a chance against multiple Homeworld Gems. Things had changed since they lived there.  
The Gem Warships were unlike anything they've ever seen before. The technology, the destabilizers, none of that was around when they inhabited the Gem Homeworld. As far as their weapons go, all they had were spears, whips and gauntlets.

As far as tech went, they were completely outmatched by Homeworld.

"...Yes. I'm.. sure of it." Garnet replied.

It was a lie. She wasn't sure, how could she be? Peridot, Malachite, and possibly a whole team of Gems?  
And what if one of them found Steven?

Mike gazed around at the many constructs before him, taking in the sights.  
Steven called this place a 'Funland'. There were a lot of weird machines around, which humans appeared to be riding in for some reason.

While Mike looked around, he thought to himself. What was he doing? He had a mission to complete, but instead he was at this bizarre Funland with this oddly kind human child. He needed to hunt down Gems, not hang out with humans.

"Steven, why are we here?" He asked impatiently.

"Because Mike, I wanna show you all the games and rides here!"

"...But why? I just wanted to be shown the town, not play weird huma- er, weird games."

The boy let go of Mike's hand.

"Mike, do you need to... be somewhere right now? Am I wasting your time?" He asked.  
Steven just wanted to show him the town and all the fun things he could do, but Mike had just been impatiently looking around everywhere.  
Did he have something he needed to do?

Mike stared down at Steven. He looked slightly dissapointed. He didn't want to hurt his feelings, but he DID have somewhere to be.  
But he couldn't just tell him straight up, 'I'm looking for a bunch of aliens that got stranded here weeks ago.'  
But he couldn't just leave the boy. After all, he had kindly offered to show him the town, and he was just trying to be nice.  
What should he say?

"Look, Steven... I'm just... uhg, I don't know how to tell you this..." He began.  
Steven waited expectantly. What was he going to say?

Mike kneeled down to the child, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Sigh... look, I don't... I don't want you to be worried, okay? What I'm doing, I don't think a kid like you could understand. It's complicated,  
adult stuff, y'know?"

Steven looked down. "Oh... yeah, I get it." He seemed hurt.

"Steven? What's wrong?" Mike asked.

"Well, it's just... I get told that all the time. That I'm too young to understand some things. My friends tell me that all the time,  
what I wouldn't understand or that something's too dangerous. They always use that excuse... I mean, I know they just want to protect me,  
but they're always doing really important things, and I just feel I need to be a part of it."

The Crystal Gems did care a lot about the boy, but because of his age, they didn't let him in on important details, like the darker side of Gem history. He figured since he was the offspring of Rose Quartz, they could just tell him, but that just simply wasnt the case.

Mike removed his hand from his shoulder. "I think I know what you mean, Steven."

"You do?"

"Yeah. See, Steven, the place I come from, it's... it can be a dark place sometimes. A lot of bad things go on there, and not a lot of the people there get to know about it. My boss, she does some bad things, and those things... only a handful of people know about them.  
And I'm not usually one of them. To my boss, I'm just some nobody who works for her, so she doesn't usually include me on stuff that's pretty important not just to her, but everyone. I just assign people to schools and stuff like that, among other things.  
...So, yeah, I think I know what you mean." Mike brushed some of his hair out of his face, which was partially faded by his fedora,  
which didn't stop his green eyes twinkle in the sunlight.

"It doesn't sound like you like your boss. Why do you work for her?" Steven rubbed his nose, eager to hear more.

"Well... I kinda have to. Everyone has a job to do, and they have to do it, whether they like it or not."

"Do you enjoy your job? My dad enjoys his job, and so does Sadie and Lars... I think."

"Um... to be honest, no. No, I don't enjoy my job. It's boring, and I sometimes have to do pretty bad things."

"Then why don't you quit? Anyone can quit a job they don't like, and, I don't know, try to find one they do like."

"Well that sounds great, I mean, I'd love a job that I'd enjoy, but where I come from, you can't just quit. Once you get a job,  
you're stuck with it. Forever." Mike removed his fedora, revealing his brown hair, which was messy and unkempt, and scratched the top of his head. "That's just how things work there."

Steven wondered just what kind of place could be that cruel. No job was like that in Beach City, you could quit a job whenever you wanted.  
Just where did Mike come from that had such rules?

"And you can't just... y'know, move somewhere else?"

"Huh?" Mike replaced his fedora. "Move... somewhere else?"

"Yeah, you know, just move to a different country, start fresh, and find a more fun job that you like! Like here in Beach City!"  
"Sigh... Steven.. that's just... it's not how things work there. It's complicated, but things don't work the same there as they do here.  
You can't just leave. You can only leave if you're sent on an assignment, like I am. And once I'm done, I have to go back.  
I have no choice. Besides, it's my home. It's the only home I'll ever have. There's nowhere else for me to go."  
Mike said as he sat on the ground and buried his face in his hands.

That's the harsh rule of Homeworld. Even if Mike did want to leave... if he tried to... shattered.  
You can't just leave Homeworld.

Suddenly, he felt a warm, comforting hand touch his shoulder.  
Mike looked up in surprise, and saw Steven smiling back at him.

"That's not true. You'll always be welcome here."

He then pulled Mike into a warm hug, which surprised Mike.

He was confused by this. Why would this boy treat a complete stranger he just met today with such kindness?  
It was confusing, strange... and comforting.

Mike didn't know how exactly to process this, but did the boy perhaps consider him... a friend?  
Such a thing wasn't common on Homeworld. Usually there was just colleages. Assistants. Partners.

But a friend... someone to go to when you have problems. Someone to have fun with. Someone you wanted to make happy.  
Did Steven really consider him that when he barely even knew him?

This event caused Mike to do something he hadn't done in so long.  
He wrapped an arm around Steven, returning the gesture, closed his eyes tightly.

And he smiled. He smiled sincerly.

Not because of the relief of finishing a task or assignment, no, but simply for one reason.

He was happy.

The two pulled away from each other, each giving the other a sincere smile.

Mike rose to his feet once more. He lifted his fedora a little, allowing the sun to shine down on his face.

"So... what was that about games?" He asked. 


	6. Chapter 5: A Secret Team

JUST SAYING: Thank you guys for the favs and follows, this is my first story so I didn't think It'd get that many!  
But you didn't come here for my thanks, you came for more Mike and Steven!

Mike stared down at the odd machine game before him. It was a rectangular shape and had seven holes arranged in a circle,  
with one right in the center, as well as a plastic mallet covered in a soft coating of sponge and fabric. Steven called it, 'Whack-A-Mole.'  
He didn't know what that meant of course, but was willing to give it a try.

Mike picked up the mallet, the handle resting comforting in his hands.

"So I'm supposed to... whack moles?" He asked, looking down to Steven.

"Exactly! Just whack em' whenever one pops out of a hole! It's easy!"  
Steven pressed the big red button on the machine, and it suddenly whirred to life, the lights on it flashing on and off, an odd, quiet buzzing noise emmiting from it.

Suddenly, a mole popped out of one of the holes, while a high-pitched laugh came from the machine, which made Mike jump.

"Right there, get him!" Steven exclaimed.

Without question, Mike raised the mallet in the air, and brought it down hard on the mole's head, forcing it back down the hole.  
It was oddly satisfying. The impact, sending the smug, laughing mole back down his hole.

"There, you got him! Now keep it up!"

Another mole popped up. Mike struck it down as well. Another satisfying hit.

"Hey... this is pretty fun!" Mike exclaimed.

"See, I told you!"

Two more moles popped up at the same time.  
Mike was surprised. There could be more than one mole up at a time? And why did they even keep popping up knowing there was someone way bigger than them with a mallet waiting for them?

Mike whacked one mole, then the other one.

Then three moles popped up. Where they trying to work together to gang up on him?  
Mike made quick work of the three moles before they could do anything.

Then five moles popped up! This game was tricky! It skipped four and went straight to five! Clever...

He struck one mole. Then another. And another. And another.

He raised his mallet to strike the final mole, but to his surprise, the mole sunk back down his hole!  
He lowered his mallet.

"..Hey!" He shouted, looking down the hole. "Get back here! I didn't hit you yet, you coward!"

Steven chuckled. "Don't worry, Mike! It's just part of..." The boy's voice trailed off when Mike had reached his hand down the hole.

"Uuhh... Mike? What're you-

"Hang on, Steven, I'm trying to- AHA! GOT YOU!" He yelled triumphantly, yanking the mole out of his hiding spot, and bringing the mallet down on it's head, shoving it right back down.

...Was that cheating? Steven wondered. He's never seen someone pull a mole back up like that before.  
He just thought they got locked down there until they pop out on their own.  
But he wouldn't spoil Mike's fun.

Mike jumped again when a loud siren erupted from the machine, and a long strip of orange paper shot out of a slot on the front.  
He dropped the mallet.

"Oh no... did I make them angry?" He asked nervously. Had the moles snapped after being hit a ton of times?

"No silly, it just means you won! And those are tickets, you use them to get prizes!"

Mike looked down at the tickets. Prizes? What prizes? Weapons? Donuts?  
He grabbed a hold of the strip of orange paper, and ripped it out of the machine.  
There were ten in total.

"How do you get prizes?" He asked, inspecting the tickets closely. "Do tickets produce the prizes?"

"Well, they kinda do. You get a lot of tickets, and then you take em' to the prize corner, and you trade them in for prizes!"

"Oooh... like you did with that green paper and the donuts earlier?"

"Exactly!"

"Huh... where's the prize corner?" Mike inspected the tickets.

"Right over there, with all the stuffed animals." He pointed to the nearby counter.  
Mike approached the counter, and was promptly greeted by the man behind the counter.

"Hey there! How can I help you, today, sir?" He politely asked.

"I've been told you give out prizes for tickets?" Mike asked.

"Uh yeah, that's what we're here for!" The man replied.

"What prize do I get for having ten tickets?" Mike asked, holding the tickets up.

"Oh? Alright, hand em' over." The man asked, taking the tickets. "Hmm... alright, well we got a few choices. We got these little guys,  
kinda cute." He picked up a small, round pink creature with stubby arms. "We got these butterfly hairclips, very popular if you're a 5-year old girl, heheh."

"Do I look like I'm interested in hairclips shaped like tiny butter birds?"

"...Anyway, we also got these little guys, very popular with people of all ages..."  
The man held the plush toy up.

It slightly resembled a mouse, but was yellow in color. It had a long, yellow tail with a bit of brown on it.  
It had black eyes, and red cheeks.

Mike was intriqued. "And... what is that?"

"This would be Pikachu! One of the most iconic Pokemon ever!" The man replied.

"Okay, I have NO idea what you're talking about. I'll take it."

"Uh... thanks?" The man said, handing Mike the tiny yellow mouse.

Mike looked at it. He didn't have any idea in the slightest what a Pokemon was, but he figured Steven might like it.

"Hey, Steven! I got you a..."

Mike's voice trailed off when he saw that Steven was no longer at the skee ball game he was last standing at.

Mike looked around the huge arcade, seeing a bunch of children, none of which were Steven.

"Steven?!" Mike yelled out. "Where are y-

*CRASH!*

Mike was cut off by a huge explosion, which nearly knocked him to the ground.

"What the hell?!" He yelled out. He looked to the exit. What just did that?! Were they being attacked?!

Mike rushed to the exit. When he got outside, he was surprised to see that all the people that were previously on all the rides were running in different all kinds of different directions, screaming like maniacs.

He turned to the direction the people were running from.

His blood ran cold.

In the center of all the chaos, the thing chasing everyone out of the facility...

Was a corrupted Gem.

Mike cringed. What would one of these possibly be doing on Earth?! There weren't any Gems left on Earth other than the three he was looking for!

The possibility that monstrosity WAS one of those Gems, however, was quickly dismissed as the Gem located on it's back didn't resemble Peridot's, Jasper's or Lapis's.

The creature was almost the size of an adult human, and was in the twisted form of a black and green tarantula.  
It's mouth leaked a noxious, green fluid which burned through the wooden platform it was standing on. The corruption had turned it's blood toxic. It's eyes shared the ominous green color, scanning the area for victims.

And they landed right on Steven nearby.

It started walking towards the boy, the toxic liquid leaking from it's fangs.

Steven started backing away from the beast, but found his back meeting the edge of the wooden platform, right above the ocean.  
If he fell down there, into the water, the beast would have no problem tearing him apart.

Steven looked back to the monster. He had nowhere to run, and his shield would be useless in this situation. What could he do?  
Nothing.

But someone could. Mike.

He was a Gem, he'd stand a chance against this thing. He didn't have a lot of experience with corrupted Gems, but he'd be damned if he didn't know how to fight.

But if he did, his cover would surely be blown. Steven and everyone there would discover his true nature.  
Who knows what would happen? He could be captured, studied by the government, or be killed.

The corrupted Gem was closing in on Steven, the boy backed as close to the edge as he could go.

Half of him thought he could run. He could leave Steven to the monster, and escape with his hide intact.  
But the other half was NOT going to let a child be torn to shreds by something like that.  
He'd taken a life before, and he wasn't going to let a kid die knowing he could've saved him but instead ran like a coward.

"HEY!" Mike yelled as loud as he could, catching the attention of Steven and the tarantula Gem.

"Mike! What are you doing?" Steven shouted. "You need to get out of here!"

"No, Steven, YOU need to get out of here! I'll take care of this!"

The tarantula Gem charged at Mike, spreading it's fangs, preparing to strike it's prey...  
And was quickly met by a black sword which stabbed the beast right in it's mouth.

The beast looked up to the resting place of the sword. Mike's hand. He had summoned his weapon.

This Gem was ready for a fight.

He teared the sword from the beast's mouth, bringing with it some blood.

"Come on! You think you're a big shot, attacking kids!?" He yelled, kicking the monster hard, making it stagger.

It shot out it's toxic blood at the Gem, but he ducked out of the way.

He raised his sword into the air, and brought it down on the beast's back, an ear piercing screech booming all around the area.

It made Mike's ears hurt, but he didn't care.

Mike raised his sword once again, ready to strike, but was unfortunately met with the acid-like blood right to his chest.  
He felt the burning immediately. It felt like he was being burned with corrosive acid met with fire and gasoline.  
He could feel it eating away at the fabric of his clothing, dangerously close to his Gem.  
He looked down, and saw that the acid had burned the zipper to his hoodie straight off, revealing his Gemstone.  
Luckily, his Gem was unharmed.

He looked back to the tarantula, and just narrowly avoided being hit in the face with the acid.  
If that hit him in the Gem or in the face, it was game over.

He hopped right over another spat of acid, landing straight on the beast's back. The monster struggled and shook around, trying to shake the Homeworld Gem off his back, to no avail.

Mike raised his sword high into the air, the dark blade glimmering in the sunlight, and brought it down on the beast's back once.

Then again. And again, and again, and again, and again.

The raised it one more time, before he noticed a bright glimmer. The monster's Gem.  
It was the same shade of green as it's eyes and blood, and was pointed in the center.

He grasped his sword in both hands, lifted it high above his head, and brought it down.

The beast screamed out so loud, Mike had to cover his ears this time, which let the corrupted Gem throw him off it's back.

Mike rolled a few feet away, and looked back to the monstrous Gem.

It was screeching in such a pained way, it almost sounded human, which brought a sick feeling to his stomach.  
It staggered around, it's acid blood pouring all over the platform it was standing on, burning holes through it.

Mike couldn't help but feel uneasy. After all, this had once been a Gem like him, and was now reduced to a mindless creature craving destruction.

The Gem let out one last agonizing screech, before collapsing to the ground, looking back up at the one who brought it down.  
It was a different look from when they were battling. It was a look of anguish. Of pain... Of fear.  
A look that almost seemed like it was reaching out to him for help.

Mike closed his eyes and looked away. He couldn't keep watching so horrible. So... horrifying...

The beast's screams slowly died out, it's body going completely limp, it's eyes slowly shutting.  
And it poofed.

Mike looked back to it. In the monster's place, amid the ruins of the acid covered park, was it's Gem.  
He hadn't cracked it.

He climbed to his feet, and slowly approached the Gem. It was surrounded by the noxious acid, eating away at the wood below it.

He kneeled down, and gently picked the Gem up in both of his hands. He looked down on it with a somber expression.  
How can this happen? How can such a horrible thing happen to anyone? This awful, disgusting, horrifying disease.  
This Gem could have been anyone. Hell, it could have been someone Mike knew. A collegue, a friend... it could have been anyone.  
And whoever they were, they were now forced to feel the agonizing pain of their transformation for every second of every day, every week,  
every month... every year. Non-stop, agonizing pain.  
And what happened when they went into their Gem when they had to regenerate? Did they still feel the pain? Or was it perhaps the only place where they could retain their true form? There were so many questions.

He looked down at the Gem, so lost in thought, he almost didn't notice that Steven was standing right in front of him.  
He clutched the Gem tightly in his hands, and looked up to the boy.

Steven looked back at the Gem with amazement. "Mike... you're... a Gem?"

He looked back down. It seems humans did remember what Gems were. He had been exposed.

He got back to his feet. And he turned and made a fast walk away from the destruction without saying a word.

"Wait, Mike! Where are you going?" Steven called out, running after the Gem.

"DON'T follow me, Steven. Just go away." He demanded. He was in no mood to talk anymore, especially not after this.  
He picked up his, pace, Steven doing the same.

"Just wait a second, Mike! Why are you leaving? Is something wrong?" The boy pleaded.

Mike stopped. "Is. Something. Wrong?" He said in a dark voice, through clentched teeth. Steven took a step back.

"IS SOMETHING WRONG!? OF COURSE SOMETHING'S WRONG, YOU STUPID KID!" He screamed, not caring if anyone else was listening in.

"W-w..." Was all Steven got out. The boy was unsettled by the sudden outburst from the Gem. He was also unsettled by his eyes suddenly turning red...

"THIS IS WHAT'S WRONG!" He shouted, holding out the Gem to the boy, allowing him a good look.  
"THIS GEM! EVERY SINGLE GEM THAT'S EVER STEPPED FOOT ON THIS GARBAGE HEAP YOU CALL A PLANET'S BEEN CORRUPTED AND TURNED INTO THESE HORRIBLE, AWFUL, DISCUSTING, HORRIFYING, MONSTERS!"

"N-not... not all of them..." Steven said in a hushed tone Mike couldn't hear over his anger.

"EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! ALL CORRUPTED BEYOND SAVING! AND THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO ME OR THE ONE'S I'M LOOKING FOR, IF THAT HASN'T HAPPENED ALREADY, IF I LINGER HERE FOR ONE. MORE. GODDAMN MINUTE!  
SO DO ME A FAVOR, AND JUST F*CK OFF AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" He turned his back on Steven, who was almost in tears.

"I-it's... n-not Earth's f-fault..." He choked out. "I'm sorry if you think we had something to do with it, but..."

"Don't." Mike interrupted. He didn't need to hear this.

"But we didn't! We w-wouldn't ever harm someone from another planet like that! We don't know why corruption happens, but we're trying our best to fix it!"

Mike scoffed. "Like you humans could ever figure it out. We Gems have been around for centuries, and we STILL haven't cured it.  
His tone was calmer, but there was still hostility lining his every word.

"Look, I don't know what Earth did to hurt your kind, or if they even did anything at all, but you can't just go blaming Earth for everything bad that happens to you! We have nothing to do with corruption!"

"That's... not... that's not what I..." Mike tried to say.

"And I'm not just a human! I'm a Gem too!"

Mike's eyes shot wide open. He lowered his arms to his sides.

"W...w-what...?" He asked.

Without another word, Steven lifted up his shirt, revealing a shining, pink Gemstone, shining so brightly it almost hurt Steven's eyes.

Mike turned back to the boy. He looked down to his Gemstone. It was located right where a human's umbilical cord was attached at birth.  
He suddenly felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He stared down at the tiny Gem.

There was another Gem? And he had he just said all those horrible things to him? To go and... die?

"I... I understand." He said, looking down at the ground in shame. "I didn't realize, I... Steven, I..."

The boy waited for a response.

"I'm... I'm sorry... I'll just... I'll just leave. I shouldn't have done all this with you anyway..."  
He turned and began slowly walking away.

"Wait, Mike! I didn't mean it like that! Please come back!" The young Gem pleaded.

He kept walking.

Steven chased after the elder Gem, and ran in front of him, blocking his path.

"I didn't want you to just leave, Mike! I was just defending me and Earth! I didn't want to get rid of you! Please, just listen!"

Mike layed eyes on the boy once more.

"There... there are more Gems here? Non-corrupted ones?" He asked, sounding exaustingly calm.

"Y-yeah... three of them are my friends, and three of them are..." He paused, looking at his shirt. "...Like you."  
Steven had seen the same pattern on Peridot and Jasper's clothing. That yellow diamond. Even Lapis looked like she had a diamond on her dress too. He's also heard Jasper and Peridot mention someone named Yellow Diamond. Was she perhaps the boss Mike mentioned?

"I see. So, those three are Peridot, Jasper, and Lapis, right?"

"Yeah."

Mike let out a sigh of relief. "Alright, good. Do you know where they are now? I was sent here to find them, and It'd be a huge help, Steven."

Steven laughed nervously.

"Uh... well, Lapis sorta fused with Jasper and trapped them both at the bottom of the ocean, and I have no idea where Peridot is,  
the last time we saw her, she flew off somewhere after we got one of her feet."

"W... are you kidding me? You've gotta be kidding me. Why would Lapis want to fuse with Jasper? Fusing with Jasper is like- like fusing with a fat, ugly boar! And why would they even need to fuse?"

"Because Jasper wanted to do it because my friend Garnet was a fusion and beat her up, and she was probably angry because we destroyed their spaceship and kinda stranded them here, but Lapis tricked her and dragged them both to the bottom of the ocean."

Mike's jaw nearly hit the ground. Four Gems managed to destroy a Gem Warship, Lapis and Jasper were fused at the bottom of the ocean, and Peridot was roaming somewhere minus a foot?! What kind of Gems were these?

"Okay, that seems really, really odd, but I hope you don't mind me asking this, but WHAT did you destroy their ship for?!"

"Because they were trying to capture us! They came because Peridot was mad at us because we kept breaking her stuff, and when Jasper saw that I had my mom's Gem, she hit Garnet with a weird, fusion stopper thing, and then she locked us all up in prisons on their ship!"

"Your mom's... Gem? How do you have someone else's Gem? That's not a thing you can do!"  
Just what was going on here? He was a Gem, but he had a Gem belonging to someone else...?

"Wait wait wait, slow down a bit, Steven. Who's your mom? Gems don't have moms, or even parents!"

"Well, I'm kind of special in a way. See, my mom came to Earth with an army to protect it, and after the war ended, she met my dad,  
and they became a couple, and then they made me, but my mom had to give up her physical form to do it, so she's... not around anymore.

Mike was shocked.

"Y... your mom is... Rose Quartz?!"

Steven nodded.

It all made sense now. Steven's pink Gemstone, Jasper wanting to capture them, the fact that there were still Gems on Earth?  
Steven was the son of Rose Quartz, and those three Gem friends of his had to be Crystal Gems!  
The ones who started the war all those years ago.

"Okay, Steven, you need to tell me something. Just what are you after? You managed to take down one of Homeworld's most powerful warriors, destroyed an entire Gem Warship, and took one of Peridot's feet? Are you trying to... kill every Homeworld Gem that comes here?"

"What? No, of course not! I could never do that to anybody, Mike! We're just trying to protect ourselves and Earth!  
Peridot was just trying to do a lot of bad things, like activating the Kindergarden, which would-

"Destroy all life on Earth." Mike finished the boy's sentence. He was aware of what Kindergardens did to a planet.

"Yeah... and when we stopped her, she brought Jasper here and they tried to blast us with their Handship. We're just trying to protect the planet. That's all."

Mike felt slight simpathy for the boy. He just wanted to protect his home and not hurt anybody. It's a shame it didn't matter. This planet, to Homeworld, is just another planet they can turn into a breeding ground with the Kindergarten.  
And it was only a matter of time.

"You're not going to do that too... are you?"

"What, try and blast you with a ship? Nah, I don't really use any of the weapons on those things anyway."

"No no, not just that. I mean are you going to hurt me and my friends?"  
The boy didn't want any more fighting. He just wanted there to be peace between both Gem sides.  
But would it ever happen?

Mike wondered the same thing, albeit in a different way than Steven. He wanted to know why exactly Rose and her army wanted to protect all of Earth's humans. Was she tired of Homeworld destroying planets, and by extension, their inhabitants, so they could harvest Gems?

Personally, Mike himself thought that humans were interesting, with the simple, yet useful inventions they made, and their music and all that.  
But Hematite could care less about humans. Murdering eachother in pointless wars in a futile power struggle to see who could rule the planet? Unless you're Yellow Diamond, one does not simply rule an entire planet.

And their absolutely ridiculous pop culture. They were interested in stupid things like cats with the bodies of sugar treats flying through space? That's the kind of things children enjoy, but grown adults?

And that's another thing. Their immaturity. They think sagging their pants and using african-american slang will make people fear them?

Steven however, didn't give him the same 'Why the hell do you exist?' vibe any other human did.  
He was kind, trying to show him their culture, but also very niave. Whether he liked it or not, was going to invade this planet and activate the Kindergarten.

Mike knew the importance of Kindergartens, after all, he was created in one. But if someone was preventing Homeworld, and by extension,  
Yellow Diamond, from activating one of them, as a Homeworld Gem, it was Mike's duty to eliminate the ones responsible, especially if it's a Gem or Human. Steven was a Gem, and the offspring of the heretic that was Rose Quartz, and prevented Earth's Kindergarten from being activated. That meant Mike had to do something about it. Peridot can't fight, Lapis and Jasper are gone, so there was nobody else could do it. He needed to do something. But what?

 _"You could kill him."_ A voice rang out in his head. Hematite finally decided to speak up.

 _"Shut up, Hematite. I don't want your advice."_ He replied in his head.

 _"Think about it, though. This Gem and his buddies destroyed Peridot's ship, beat the hell out of Jasper, and did you not hear the part where he said they took one of Peridot's feet? They wouldn't be taking body parts unless they were out for blood!"_

 _"No, they were just protecting their planet, it's what anyone would do, right?"_

 _"Who cares about their planet? We're just here to get those three dumbasses, and this kid and his Gem friends are obviously going to try and capture us for being a Homeworld Gem! If we off this kid now, while he's alone, then his friends won't know about us,_  
 _and we can complete the mission without a hitch!"_

 _"Since when do you care about missions? You've never cared!"_

 _"I don't care, but A, if we fail, Yellow Diamond will crush us to Gem dust, and B, I'm thinking of our well-being, which is utterly F'd up if we let this kid go!"_

"Mike!" Steven exclaimed, waving a hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his conversation.

"Uh? Oh, Steven. What is it?" He asked.

"You didn't answer my question, you just sorta conked out there. Are you alright?"

 _"Come on, he's so concerned with you, he'll never see it coming!"_ Hematite said. _"Just slice him in half or something!"_

Steven watched the Gem curiously. Instead of answering his questions, he just stared off into nothing with this completely blank stare while his eyes darkened to a near lifeless state, seemingly in a deep train of thought. Something clearly wasn't right.

He nudged his shoulder. "Mike, what's wrong? Can you hear me?"

He jumped at the gesture.

His attention was drawn back to Steven. He looked down on him with a look of mild guilt and pity.

"You keep zoning out on me. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes Steven, I'm alright. I just get, like, really lost in thought sometimes. But... to answer your question, I don't want to hurt anybody here.  
I just want to get Peridot, Jasper and Lapis and take them back home. I'll only fight if I absolutely need to."

"But what if Jasper tries to take us again? I don't think she'll just leave us alone after what happened before. Would you help us if she tried to?"

Mike let out a sigh and rubbed his eyes with one hand. "...Look, Steven, you're asking a lot of difficult questions.  
And, I know you're intentions are good, but I don't think I can just fight against one of my own for a bunch of strangers.  
So... no, I won't help you fight her if that happens. The best I can do is try and convince her to leave you alone, but even then,  
she doesn't listen to anybody she thinks is inferior to her."

Steven looked down in dissapointment. "So... you're going to fight us if Jasper does?"

Mike thought to himself. He couldn't answer that question. He couldn't help Steven, but he didn't want to fight him.  
But if Jasper wanted to fight them, if he fought against her, it would be an act of treason. Protecting the holder of Rose Quartz's Gem?  
He'd be prosecuted as soon as he returned to Homeworld.

He couldn't convince Jasper to just leave with him, either. Trying to talk her out of something is like talking to a brick wall.  
Especially to someone like him. There's no chance she'd listen to a weaker Gem, much less a mentally broken one like him.

But if he let Jasper get to Steven, she'd hurt him. She'd hurt him so bad. She loathed Rose Quartz, and if she got her hands on this boy,  
one of two things could happen: She'd bring her to Yellow Diamond, and he'd be shattered the second she recognizes his Gem,  
or Jasper would do it herself, and she'd enjoy every second of it. That Gem was ruthless. She'd probably strangle an infant to death if it had wronged her in some way. If she got Steven, he was doomed.

"Can't you do anything, Mike? I don't want anybody to be hurt, and you seem like the only other one that doesn't want that, either.  
There must be something you could do, right? Anything?" The boy pleaded.

Mike thought of any possible outcomes. Maybe, he could use a destabilizer on Jasper while her back was turned?  
She'd have no idea who did it, and she could be taken back without any protest...

Wait. Or maybe... maybe he and Steven could work together. Start an alliance. They could help each other.  
Steven could help track down Peridot, since he's done it before, then find a way to subdue Malachite, and in return, Mike could offer Steven protection, convice Peridot to not start any fights, and then subdue Jasper and get back to Homeworld! It was perfect!

Mike lightened up. "Steven, how would you feel about forming... a secret team?"

"A Secret Team?! AWESOME! I've done that before with my friends!"

"Perfect. Alright, so this is how It'll work. You've tracked down Peridot before, right?"

"Yup, three times! She's not very good at hiding."

"Great, so you can help me find Peridot, and when we do, I'll bring her to the ship I took here, and she'll stay there and won't cause any more trouble for you and your friends. Then, we can track down Malachite, and unfuse her."

"But how? She's really big, she'd eat us for breakfast!"

"Gems don't eat, Steven. Focus. Back on topic though, I can unfuse her, using this."

He pulled out a Gem Destabilizer. Steven recognized the weapon. Jasper had used one on Garnet and made her fall apart right in front of him.

"But... won't that hurt Lapis and Jasper?" The boy asked worringly.

"Well, maybe for a second, but it's the easiest way to take down Malachite without us getting utterly destroyed.  
Then, when that happens, Jasper and Lapis will retreat back into their Gems, so Jasper won't be able to hurt you or your friends, and I'll take all three of them back home with me. How does that sound?"

"...Will... will Lapis be hurt when you take her back?"

"Oh... um, I don't really have any authority over that. I'm not sure Steven. They might just lock her in prison again or something."

"Oh... you can't help her? Me and her became friends, and she's just really confused right now."

Steven couldn't possibly imagine how Lapis felt right now. Being trapped in a mirror for thousands of years with a cracked Gem,  
just wanting to go home, and finding out when she got back, finding out everything has changed? And then being taken prisoner and brought straight back to Earth, fusing with Jasper, and being stuck as Malachite, using all of her strength to keep her and Jasper prisoner at the bottom of the ocean? She's been through too much to be locked up again. She just wanted to be free.

"I'll do what I can Steven. I don't want her hurt, either."

"Okay." The boy smiled.

"But back to our secret team, in exchange for you helping me, I'll make sure you and your Gem friends aren't hurt by Jasper."

"Okay, that sounds good! Let's go tell the Gems!"

Mike took Steven by the arm. "Wait wait wait, Steven. That's another thing. You can't let your friends know about this.  
It's a secret team, remember?"

"But... I thought you just meant secret to Jasper and your boss?"

"No, we have to keep it secret from your friends, too. They're Crystal Gems, so they wouldn't trust me in the slightest.  
They'd just crack me or something. They'd just start a fight that I would lose, and then they'd bubble me and send my Gem lord knows where. This has to just be between you and me, alright?"

"But what if we need help beating Malachite?"

"We won't as long as I can jab her with a destabilizer. Trust me, things will be a lot easier if we just leave them out of it."

Steven thought for a moment. He had a good point. The Crystal Gems would NOT just work with a Gem from this 'Homeworld' Mike keeps talking about. They'd just capture him, interrogate him, or poof him and send him straight to the burning room.  
It was probably too dangerous for the Gems to know about him.

"Alright Steven, now, first things first, I need you to give me Peridot's foot, assuming you still have it."

"Her foot?" The boy asked. "What do we need her foot for?"

"Because since you took it, she's down one foot, so It'd probably be a nice gesture to give it back." Mike replied.

"Oh, okay!" The boy exclaimed, not catching the sarcasm in his voice. "In that case, it's somewhere in my house. We can go and find it!"

"Alright, great. Your friends aren't there though, right?"

"No, they went out last night, probably to look for Peridot too."

"Alright, in that case, we've gotta make sure we avoid them. Cause, you know..." His voice trailed off, before he made a tapping gesture on his Gem. "Crack."

"That shouldn't be a problem. Besides your Gem, you actually look a lot like a person with your skin and all. After all, you fooled me!"

Mike was mildly surprised by the comment.

He stared down to his flesh colored hand. Did he really look that much like a human?

"Uh... yeah, I guess I do. That's... convenient." He looked back to Steven. "So where's your house?"

"Down by the beach. Follow me!" The boy said, walking off, Mike following behind.

"Hey! I just thought of a cool team name for us!"

"Really? And what's that?" Mike asked, activating the strange device on his wrist, which brought up a screen, and started typing something.

"The Homeworld Crystals! Makes sense, right? You and my mom are from Homeworld, and I'm a Crystal Gem!"

"Uh... yeah." Mike replied, his eyes glued to the screen he was typing on.

 _"That is a cool name..."_ He thought.


	7. Chapter 6: Something's Afoot

**TEAM HOMEWORLD CRYSTALS FTW!**

That is all.

 _"This is Mike. Or, I suppose Hematite. I have arrived on the planet Earth, and have begun my search for Peridot, Jasper, and Lapis Lazuli._  
 _I haven't yet discovered Peridot's location, but I have found out that Jasper and Lapis Lazuli have fused, with Lapis Lazuli sealing them both at the bottom of the ocean. I haven't yet figured out how to get them out of the ocean, but they will be subdued and brought back to Homeworld, rest assured. As for their ship... I haven't yet figured out what happened to it._  
 _I will provide more details shortly."_

"What are you doing Mike?" Steven asked as the two strolled down the beachside.

"Writing a report. Don't worry, I'm leaving you and your friends out of it."

"Why are you writing a report?"

"You're required to whenever you are on a mission. It's so you can remember what you did, and you give it to someone who analyzes you're performance on the mission. If you did good, you're congradulated, but if you did bad, then... well, then you're punished."

Not the most luxiorious job, that was obvious.

"Oh. So, what do you do when you're not on Earth? Gem stuff?"

"Uh... your wording's kinda weird, but yeah. Gem stuff. Although for Gems, it's just regular stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

Mike closed his screen.

"Uh... well, my job is to go to all the Kindergartens around the galaxy and look for any full grown Gems.  
Then I take the Gems back home with me, and I study them to see if they-well, are corrupted or defective."

"What do you mean defective? Like, broken?"

Mike slowed down his pace a bit. He looked down to his Gemstone.

"Yeah...yeah. Broken. It's like... if a human were born with some sort of disability. Not looking the way they should... not being able to do things everyone else can do... it happens if a Gem isn't harvested correctly. It... happens a lot. It can happen to anyone."

"Oh... that's kind of sad." Steven said. "But... you fix them, right Mike? You're able to fix them?"

"...No. No, Steven. I can't fix them. Nobody can. Not even Yellow Diamond. If you are defective... you just are, and you can't fix that.  
You just have to live with it. I mean-heck, if a Gem is defective enough to the point Yellow Diamond doesn't need them..."

"...What?" Steven asked anxiously.

Mike shook his head. "No, it's not important. Just... sigh... anyways, back to my job, I study them, and if they're fine, I assign them to a learning program, and write down the details of their Gem, weapon and powers, and give that info to someone else. That's all."

"But... what about corrupted or really defective Gems? What happens to them?" Steven asked again.

The boy wanted to know. Would they be fixed? Would they be bubbled until a cure was found, like what he and the Gems did?

Mike REALLY didn't want to answer, however. He didn't want Steven to know what they did to them.  
Unless under special circumstances, corrupts or defects are shattered, their shards used for lord knows what.

"I... I don't know. I just give them to somebody else, and they take care of them."

"Bubble them?"

"Uh... yeah, probably. But... let's just talk about something else, alright?"

"Okay." Steven replied. "So... what's your Gemstone?"

"Oh, it's a Hematite. You like it?" Mike said, looking down to his sparkling Gemstone.

"Yeah, it's cool. It looks like space!"

Steven thought for a moment.

"Say... if you're Gem is Hematite, than why do you call yourself Mike?"

It wasn't often a Gem wasn't named after their Gemstone. There was Steven himself, of course, but that was for a reason.

"I just prefer Mike." He replied, looking down at the beach shore. It was getting dark.

"Are-uh, your friends gonna be home soon?" He asked, slightly unnerved, looking back down to the smaller Gem.

Steven too looked at the distant sky. "I don't know. They usually don't get back home until nighttime."

"Hm." Mike replied. "So, do you actually know where Peridot's foot is, or are we just gonna be wandering around blindly?"  
Mike wasn't too familiar with Earth houses, but he knew that they could be pretty big, so finding a foot could be very tedious.

"Nah, it's in the burning room. That's where we put bubbled Gems and stuff. Only Garnet can open the door to it, but there's a shortcut inside Amethyst's room, so we can just go that way."

Mike nodded, before looking back in front of him.

"...Woah." He said, looking up at the giant statue before them. They had reached the temple.

"THAT'S your house?" He asked, surprised.

The statue was in the shape of a giant woman, most likely a Gem, judging by the multiple Gemstones around it's body.  
It was at the backside of the giant mountain he and Steven were just walking around.  
It had six arms, only three of which weren't broken off. And two of the arms were held together at the base of the statue,  
where a small wooden house with a staircase leading up to it from the beach resided.

"Yeah! Pretty cool, huh?" The boy replied. "Come on, the door's just up the stairs!"

Steven ran over to the staircase, Mike following.

They walked up the stairs. "The entrance to the temple is just inside."

They approached the door, which was mostly made of glass, so pretty much anyone could see inside.  
Mike looked down to the doorknob. He grasped it in his hand. It was pretty hot due to the summer weather. He turned the knob, and pushed.

It wouldn't open.

"Steven, the door's locked." He said, looking down to the boy.

Steven then reached up to the doorknob himself. He grabbed it, twisted it, and pulled it. The door opened.

"It's a pull door." He said, entering the house.

Mike watched the boy enter with a disdainful look on his face, before slapping it with his left hand.

"Idiot." He said, also entering the house.

Little did the two know, they were being watched from afar.

Behind a giant piece of one of the statue's arms, relatively far from the beach house, was Peridot, who watched the two Gems enter the house. She held up her arm, and watched as four of her fingers floated away from her hand, arranging themselves into a square, which created a screen.

 _"This is Peridot. I'm still stuck on this stupid planet. After these so called Crystal Gems have countlessly gotten in my way trying to activate the Kindergarten and such, I have begun spying on them to see what kinds of things they do when they're not breaking my things._  
 _Oddly, one of their members, the Steven, has just entered their base with another Homeworld Gem, Hematite._

 _I don't know if he's been captured or is going willingly, but it's likely that he's the one Homeworld sent to retrieve me._  
 _I shall continue my recon until I can manage to get the Hematite Gem's attention, and hopefully return to Homeworld."_

She closed her screen and let out a huge sigh. She looked down to the stub where her foot used to be.  
After those Gems got a hold of it, she'd replaced it with a small green beach bucket. It was NOT a comfortable replacement.

"Stupid Crystal Clods... break my stuff, now you take my stuff..." She muttered under her breath, taking a few steps.  
It was hard having to walk using a children's toy, but at least it was better than nothing.

Still, she wouldn't have to deal with it if those Gems would just leave her alone and let her just leave.

"All I want to do is go home. Is that too much to ask!?" She thought to herself angrily.  
She may be punished for failing, but anything was better than being on this dump of a planet...

"Wow. Your friend Amethyst is a... bit of a hoarder, isn't she?" Mike asked, looking around the purple Gem's room.  
The entire place was a complete mess, all kinds of junk cluttering almost every area of the large room, which was like a cave in design,  
being made entirely out of crystals, and had puddles of what was probably water everywhere.

There were simple things like bottles and containers, and then there were odd things like barrels and trees, and even a utlility pole.

"Yeah, she likes collecting stuff. And being messy." Steven replied.

"Uh-huh, I could tell." Mike said, picking up one of the many objects, which was a block with a big ? on it.  
Mike tapped the block with his hand, and was surprised when it made a big, red mushroom with eyes pop out of it.

The mushroom slid off of the block, and Steven and Mike watched as it slowly slid across the ground.

"...What have humans been doing to this place?" The tall Gem asked, before tossing the ? Block back into one of the many piles of junk.

"Honestly, I didn't even think those were real." The short Gem replied. "But unless you wanna grow slightly bigger, I wouldn't eat that mushroom if I were you."

"Alright, so where is the burning room?" Mike asked, picking up a strange cat figurine holding a coin.

The boy started scanning the various puddles around the room. "Hang on. It's in one of these puddles..."

Mike tossed the cat toy behind him, and his eyes went wide when he heard a loud shatter.  
He looked back, and saw that the cat figure broke into a bunch of pieces on the ground.

He looked at Steven, who was still searching puddles, before casually whistling and brushing the pieces under a nearby fridge.  
That thing probably wouldn't be missed, right? I mean, why have a fake cat with a coin when you can just get a real cat and give a coin to that? Besides, real cats don't shatter when they hit the ground.

"Found it!" Steven shouted, pointing to one of the puddles, waving Mike over.

He walked over to the puddle the boy was pointing to, and looked at it.

He didn't see anything but his own reflection.

He was surprised how bad he looked. He had bags under his eyes and looked pretty worn down, and what hair he could see under his fedora was greasy and mussed up. But he didn't see any burning room.

He looked to Steven.

Steven looked at the puddle, and back to Mike. "Stick your head in." He said.

Mike looked back to the puddle. He got down on his knees and placed his hands on the sides of the puddle, and shoved his head in.

Instead of water like he expected, he found a large room.  
There were what appeared to be roots flowing around the room, as well as bubbles containing Gems floated throughout the room,  
and in the center, was a lava pit.

Suddenly, Steven's head popped up next to Mike's.

"This is the burning room! Pretty cool, huh?"

"Wow. You guys have... quite the Gem collection." He replied, looking around at all the Gemstones decorating the room.

"Yeah, those are corrupted Gems. We put them here until we can heal them." The boy replied optimistically.

The Homeworld Gem appreciated Steven's optimism. Optimism was in a Hematite's blood, yet he himself could hardly be optimistic due to the circumstances surrounding corrupted Gems.

Still, it was nice to see that someone was confident that they could heal corrupts one day.

"Alright, so is Peridot's foot in one of these bubbles?" Mike questioned, scanning the various bubbles.

"Probably. I know Garnet bubbled it, so it's in a pink bubble." Steven answered.

"Got it." Mike said, before hopping down into the room.  
The temperature was pretty high due to the lava pit.

He began scanning the room for any signs of Peridot's foot, seeing all kinds of Gems, and curiously, a bag that had 'Chaaaaps' written on it.

"See anything?" Steven shouted.

"Just Gems!... and chaaaaps!" Mike replied, before he spotted something green. "Wait..."

He approached the object, which was green and black in color, in the shape of a boot, contained inside a pink bubble. Peridot's foot.

He lifted his hand up to the bubble and popped it with a quick jab from his index finger.

"I got it!" He exclaimed, holding the foot up for Steven to see, who's head was still

But he was confused when he saw Steven with a frown on his face.  
Mike then also frowned, and lowered the foot. "Is... something wrong, Steven?" He asked.

"Mike... do you still have the Gem from before? The corrupted one you fought at the pier?" The boy asked.

Mike remembered it. It happened maybe only an hour ago.

"Yeah, I still have it. Why?"

"Well, I was wondering... why don't you leave it here? Y'know, with all the other Gems, so you don't lose it? And... maybe it won't feel lonely if you do."

Mike furrowed his brow. He didn't like that idea.  
Sure, Steven and those Crystal Gems believe they can heal corrupted Gems, but could they really?  
Steven doesn't even seem to know anything about Homeworld, the place where Gems originated from, so he obviously had no idea what corruption is.

It's like a parasite. It infects you. It eats away at your insides, a process that would leave a human devoid of any organs, killing them and leaving their bodies behind to rot. But Gems... it takes over. It takes over your body. Your mind. Everything you once knew,  
everything you once were, is no more. Your body is hideously deformed, as is your mind, and all you do is destroy.  
You destroy everything you can until you're eventually crushed. He's witnessed it before. Watched over. Observed.

It was horrible. Going through such a painful process, destroying their home, attacking and hurting those who they used to be close to...  
Going through all that pain and suffering, knowing deep down that the only pleasure they could ever feel again was being beaten senseless,  
and their Gem shattered. Crushed, stomped on, grinded into the dust. It was a living hell outside of hell.  
A pain no Gem, no anything, should ever have to feel in their entire lives.

But fate is a cruel force in the world. Determining other's fates, determining whether they live or die...  
Many, many, many unfortunate Gems became corrupted in Gem history. Hundreds, thousands, millions. Perhaps even billions.  
And many of those Gems tried to resist. They tried to fight it, use all of their physical and mental power to resist being corrupted.  
But you can't stop it. Not strength, not willpower, not anything.

Even if Yellow Diamond were corrupted, even she probably wouldn't be able to resist it.  
She's strong, and she's smart, but even she's most likely aware that if she's corrupted, she's finished.  
She would be corrupted, and she would be shattered. Who would take her position? Most likely another Diamond.

So the chances of what is basically the equivalent of an Earth child and some traitor Gems fixing corruption? Zero.  
Zero, zero, zero. They can't fix it. They won't fix it. If Yellow Diamond can't, then they certainly can't.

He wasn't going to hand this Gem over. He was going to take it back to Homeworld. Study it. Maybe find what corrupted it in the first place. Then maybe it could be prevented from ever happening again.

It would be better off on Homeworld than it would on this ape-inhabited planet.  
Earth makes good donuts and mole-abusing games, but they could not even BEGIN to comprehend corruption.  
They should just be thankful it can't happen to them. They think their cancer is bad? They don't know what a real disease is.

Mike tossed Peridot's foot up to Steven, who was surprised by the sudden toss, but managed to barely catch it.  
"No, Steven. I'll just take it home with me." He replied.

He approached one of the many vines covering the walls of the room and began to climb back up to the portal puddle.

"But-

"End of conversation." Mike interrupted in an assertive, mildly agitated tone, climbing up the massive vines.

Steven was curious as to why the Gem didn't leave the corrupted one here. Did he not think it was safe or something?  
The room was practically impenetrable, y'know, other than the puddle in Amethyst's room that literally anyone could enter...  
Although, that lava pool could be a potiental hazard, if a bubble were to pop and a Gem fell in there.

Mike reached the puddle where Steven's head was sticking out of.

"Mike, if this is about the room being unsafe-

"Get your head out of there, Steven." Mike interrupted again.

The half-Gem hesitantly pulled his head out from the puddle, finding himself back in Amethyst's mess of a room.  
Why was he not wanting to leave the Gem there? Steven wondered.  
Mike didn't seem to have any interest in discussing it, but there was clearly a reason he didn't want to leave the Gem there.

Steven didn't want to annoy him with questions, but he felt inclined to learn more.

Mike's head and shoulders soon emerged from the puddle, and he proceeded to climb out.  
He looked down to Steven.

"That was surprisingly easy. Alright Steven, you can give me the foot back now." He said, holding out his hand, expecting the boy to hand it over.

To his surprise, he didn't, and instead held the foot away from him. "Hang on. Why don't you want to leave the Gem in the burning room?"

Mike lowered his hand ever so slightly, his expression suddenly turning into a narrow-eyed glare.

"Steven... give me the foot." He asked again.

"No." The boy replied stubborningly. "First you tell me why you don't want to leave the Gem in the burning room!"

Mike lowered his hand completely. "Steven... give me the foot now. Or else." He said rather darkly.

The boy backed away a little. The Gems tall composure was suddenly frightening.  
His face was shaded by his hat, and his glaring eyes were narrowed directly at Steven. The Gem was much bigger than Steven. Perhaps even taller than Pearl. He clearly didn't have a lot of patience, but Steven was definitely testing it. He started backing away more.

Mike started following Steven's cowering form. "Steven. I want that foot. Give it to me."  
And his tone was terrifying. It was angry. But it was so calm, it was unsettling. Like he'd explode any second.  
However, that wouldn't stop Steven from getting answers.

The boy stopped backing up.  
"No, you tell me why you don't trust me!" He shot back at the tall Gem.

"W..." Mike began, his expression turning to slight confusion.

"Mike, I'm just trying to help corrupted Gems like you! Why don't you trust me enough to leave the Gem in the burning room, huh?!"

"What? Nonono, Steven, you don't understand, that's not what I mean at all!" Mike replied, holding his hands up in defense.

"Well, then what do you mean? What's wrong with leaving it in a safe place?" Steven asked, taking a few steps back towards the Gem.

Mike looked down to the boy. He wanted to know. He wanted to know so bad, and he wasn't going to give that foot up until he got answers. Arguing would get them nowhere, clearly.

He let out a sigh of defeat. "Steven, walk with me." He said, leading the boy to the exit.

"Look, Steven. It's not that I don't trust you, okay? I do. You're a really nice Gem, to want to help corrupted Gems,  
but you've got to understand something, alright? And it's simple. You can't help them. And before you say anything, let me explain.  
See, Homeworld... it's a big place. Filled to the brim with the smartest this universe can offer. Much, much smarter I'm sure than any scientists that you're Earth has. You're aware of what cancer is, right?"

The boy nodded. He was aware of such a sickness.

"Good. Now see, corruption, it's sort of like lethal types of cancer, in a sense. And when I say that, I mean... it's something you can't get rid of once you get it. There's no outright cure, and depending on the type of cancer you have, all you can do... is lay back and die.  
Now corruption, it's much more worse than cancer can ever be. It takes over your mind and body, it turns you into something bad.  
Something... evil. And when that happens, it's irreversable. Un-curable.

Now what I'm basically saying it this: if Earth still hasn't found a cure for cancer, than what makes you think they can just whip up a cure for corruption? Even you and the Crystal Gems, they've been gone from Homeworld for so long, and you've never been there. Technology advanced, Gems changed, became smarter, and yet they themselves still haven't figured out how to cure it.  
So the chances of the Crystal Gems fixing it are even lower than zero. That's why I'm not just going to leave it here on Earth.  
I have a better chance of curing it if I take it home with me than you do if I leave it here. You understand?"

Steven just stared ahead of himself. Was he right? After all, Peridot did seem to be a lot smarter than the Gems, even Pearl,  
who seemed like the smartest of the group. But could they really not cure corruption? Surely that couldn't be true?  
But then again, he himself has no idea how corruption even happens. And if the Gems knew how, they haven't told him.

"If you think that's what's best..." Steven agreed, dissapointingly.

During their lengthy conversation, the two had made it back to the living room of the beach house.  
It was now nighttime. The moon shone down into the house through the windows, lighting up the dark room.

Mike noticed this. "It's pretty late. I should go."

"Go where?" Steven questioned. "You don't really have anywhere to go, do you?"

Mike wasn't entirely sure, but one idea did come to mind.

"I can just hide out at the Kindergarten. It's pretty big, and there's a lot of places to hide. I'll be fine." He said before heading for the front door.

The Kindergarten on Earth wasn't exactly a very luxorious place, as it had been wiped of all the Gems long ago, leaving the place pretty barren. Although there wasn't any need to worry about being attacked by Gems. Although that cluster project was a potiental hazard,  
but it could be easily avoided. Not that he'd even want to be near it if it wasn't hostile.

"Okay, then." Steven said, as he watched the Gem walk towards the door.  
But he spoke up again when he opened it.

"Mike?"

The Gem stopped when he heard his name. "Yeah?" He responded, looking back to Steven.

There was a bit of silence before the boy replied. "G'night." He answered with a smile.

Mike returned the smile. "G'night to you too, Steven." He repeated the boy's goodbye, before exiting the house.

Steven watched him go. Sure, they had hit a few bumps along the way, but he and Mike seemed like they'd make a good team.  
He's definitely A LOT nicer than Peridot and Jasper. Although Steven still had little flicker of hope, that little thought bouncing around the back of his head, that maybe, he could redeem them. After all, Peridot didn't seem that bad, she actually acts like a kid a lot,  
and it seems like she's just doing her job, as bad as it may be.

Although if there was one Gem Steven was worried about more than any other, it was Lapis.  
The one thing Steven had been wondering ever since she and Jasper had fused. Was she alright?  
Judging by that dream he had before, it was obvious she was still in pain, having to keep them both trapped as Malachite at the bottom of the ocean. Having to endure that kind of pain after being a prisoner so many times already.

But he had hope. He had hope that maybe, when they find Malachite, maybe he can convince Lapis- and maybe even Jasper, to leave Homeworld and join the Crystal Gems one day. That was his goal, and he was determined to reach it.  
He would reform the Homeworld Gems, and get them to join him and the Crystal Gems.  
And that goal started with Mike. He would be the first one he'd reform.

He just had to find out how to do it. And had to make sure the Gems didn't find out about him until they were ready,  
because they aren't very trustworthy, especially to a Gem from Homeworld.

Although it never was easy for the boy to lie to anyone.

And it never was hard for someone to get the truth out of him.


	8. Chapter 7: A Good Gem

**Once again, thank you guys for all the favs, follows and reviews! I'm glad you're liking the story**!

...

A few hours later...

Mike walked silently through the Kindergarten, the normally dull and dark place being even darker due to the night sky.  
He was all alone, so he took the time to just think about the events that took place ever since he came to Earth.  
He acknowledged what he was doing was a bad thing. Working with Rose Quartz's son?  
If Yellow Diamond found out, she'd shatter his Gem six ways from sunday and then some.  
But he didn't seem like such a bad kid. Didn't seem to have an interest in fighting or anything.

But it was still an alliance no one could know about. Not the Crystal Gems, and ESPECIALLY Yellow Diamond.  
She wouldn't have a problem with shattering or exiling him. She has a thousand more Hematites at her disposal.  
And those ones were probably better than him, anyway...

He looked at all the injectors around the area. He was very familiar with the machine. After all, many Gems including himself had been born with these injectors. They were pretty much the closest thing to a parent.  
Although they hadn't exactly done their job right when they created him.

Thinking back on his alliance with Steven though, it was a dangerous move to be sure, but having someone else to help him with his mission definitely easier than doing it solo. Although that wouldn't be a problem if Yellow Diamond had just found someone to assist him, but nooo, he had to go alone because she didn't want to risk losing more Gems!

He rubbed his eyes with his hand, letting out an annoyed sigh. His mission was starting to get stressful.  
He had killed, had to fight a corrupted Gem, found out Crystal Gem still exist on Earth and are the reason he had to come here in the first place, and eventually he was gonna have to take down a monstrous fusion like Malachite to unfuse Jasper and Lapis...  
He told Steven he'd use a Gem Destabilizer, but he wasn't even sure if that would even effect a Malachite fusion.  
And what if the Crystal Gems found out about him? If that happened, the only way he'd leave Earth was with a broken or shattered Gem,  
which Yellow Diamond would just use to power one of her oh-so-magical Gem artifacts.

Oh yeah, she'd enjoy doing that, alright. Probably do what the Crystal Gems did to Lapis, stick him in a mirror.  
After all, when Hematites were first created centuries ago, that was all they were used for- powering Gem history mirrors!  
And it's not like the Crystal Gems would just let him go. They destroyed Peridot's warship and then stole her foot!  
If they tore his foot off, that'd probably be enough to make him retreat to his Gem where they could just crush him under their feet!

And he knew just as much as any other Homeworld Gem- the Crystal Gems were ruthless and dangerous.  
They'd taught him when he was born. He'd heard all the stories. They started a war just because they didn't like how Yellow Diamond was running Homeworld. So they started a war. And thousands of Gems died on both sides.

The fact of the matter is: The Crystal Gems are evil. They were monsters who would kill a Gem from Homeworld regardless of age.  
Heck, he'd witness it when he was hiding in his Kindergarten hole when he was born.  
Watching them drag newborn Gems out of their holes and shattering them just because Homeworld created them.  
It was a horrifying thing to watch. How would anyone else feel hiding and cowering, watching their own kind be murdered in front of them,  
and worrying that you might be next?

After giving it some thought and consideration, the Gem wasn't sure he wanted to protect the Crystal Gems from Jasper anymore.  
There was no way he could work with Gems like them, much less protect them from being punished for their own bad decisions.

But that didn't mean he would throw Steven under the bus. He may have Rose's Gem, but the boy clearly didn't even know much about what's going on with Homeworld Gems coming to Earth. In fact, he didn't express any knowledge of Homeworld itself, either.

So he came to a conclusion. He would protect Steven, keep Jasper's hands off of him, but whatever Crystal Gems remained in that temple can fend for themselves. He didn't have a reason to help them. As did they not have a reason to help him.  
...Although, assuming he can't make Jasper retreat to her Gemstone, he'd have to come up with an excuse for Jasper not to strangle the child. He had slight mixed feelings for the boy, y'know, having Rose's Gemstone and all, but he seemed innocent.

He couldn't just jab her with a destabilizer. She'd know he did it, and he would get SEVERLY punished for doing it.  
Maybe he could lie and tell her he was killed? His Gem shattered to the point where none of his shards could be recovered?  
Or maybe he could just tell her that Yellow Diamond specifically ordered him to bring them back to Homeworld?  
She was stubborn, but she wouldn't defy Yellow Diamond. She knows what that would mean for her...

As Mike was lost in thought thinking of all the possible outcomes of what he could do when Jasper unfused, he almost didn't notice that he was receiving a transmission on his communicator.  
He did notice when the screen suddenly popped up in front of his face, however, catching him off guard.

It was from Yellow Diamond. She must have been calling for a progress report.  
He clicked the screen, and Yellow Diamond's erie yellow glow emitted from the screen.  
Her entire body, as it usually was, was clouded in shadow, her only distinctable feature being her ominous yellow eyes.

Mike straightened his pose. "Yellow Diamond." He saluted.

"Report, Gem." She ordered stiffly. She appeared to still be agitated. "Have you found the Gem's whereabouts yet?"

He scratched his head. "Uh... well... no, I haven't exactly." He admitted.

The Gem overlord seemed unfazed. "Explain."

"Um... well, you see... Jasper and Lapis Lazuli, they... sort of fused into Malachite, and apparently Lapis Lazuli double-crossed her and trapped them both at the bottom of the ocean. I don't know where exactly, however."

Her expression changed ever so slightly, her low eyelids raising up in surprise.  
She quickly regained her composure. "What. Did. You. Say...?" She asked, sounding VERY angry.

Mike cleared his throat. He knew she wouldn't be happy to hear that. "Uh, Lapis tricked Jasper into fusing with her, and trapped them both at the bottom of an Ocean. As Malachite. And I don't know where they are..." He repeated slowly.

Yellow Diamond gave him a hostile scowl. "Lapis Lazuli... trapped Jasper and herself at the bottom of an Ocean?!" She slammed her fists down on the transmitter she was using. She was furious. She had suspected there was something suspicous about her,  
but set it aside. However, this news had all but confirmed her suspicions.

The other Gem flinched in surprise at her outburst. "Please, my lord, she-

"Hematite." She interrupted. "You're a smart Gem. What happens to Gems who defect and/or betray other Gems?"  
She placed her hands together and waited for an answer. "Tell me."

Mike stared back at the screen in confusion. Why is she asking him that question?... Where is this going? He thought.  
But he complied and answered the question.

"Uhm... you get punished, Yellow Diamond. Beaten, cracked and/or shattered."

"Good. Now, considering what you just told me, Lapis Lazuli's actions could be considered treachery, correct?"  
Her tone had become calm, almost soothing, if not lined with ominosity.

Mike was feeling slightly ennerved. Was she asking him to do what he thought she wanted him to do?

"Y-yes... I suppose it could... my lord, what exactly are you asking of me...?"

"Why, it's quite simple, Hematite. I want you to shatter Lapis Lazuli's Gem when you find her." She replied, a devious smile creeping onto her face.

"W-what? You want- you want- ME to kill Lapis Lazuli?!" The peach colored Gem inquired, slightly unsettled.

"But of course. An act of treachery like what you just explained... we can't have a Gem like her on Homeworld, now can we?  
If she's stupid enough to imprison one of my generals, than I don't see any reason you shouldn't shatter her."

Mike looked into Yellow Diamond's glassy eyes in disbelief. She couldn't ask him to do something like that!  
He doesn't kill Gems... at least, he doesn't LIKE to kill Gems!

"Uh... but... Yellow Diamond... I'm... I'm sure that Lapis was just-uh, just... doing what she thought was right...?" He replied sheeplishly,  
regretting his words before they even came out of his mouth.

Yellow Diamond stared back at him with the same cold expression she retained almost the whole conversation. She was not amused.

She let out a very faint chuckle. "... Hematite, was that the sound of you disobeying my orders?" She questioned,  
leaning closer to the screen.

Mike quickly shot his hands up in defense. "What?! Oh, nonononono, never- never in my life, Yellow Diamond, would I disobey you,  
I just- I, well- I-

"Still your tongue." She raised a finger up. "You've said enough, Hematite. I expect you to continue your search for those three Gems.  
And when you do, you will break Lapis Lazuli, and you will bring her shards to me. Do I make myself clear?"

"...Yes, Yellow Diamond." He agreed reluctantly.

"Good. Now get the job done."

And she dissapeared from the screen, her yellow glow fading away, leaving Mike alone again in the lone darkness of the Kindergarten.

Mike slowly shut off his screen.

He'd nearly messed up. He'd almost spoken against one of Yellow Diamond's orders. He knew better than that.  
He's never killed a Gem, but that wasn't a reason to defy his leader like that. When Yellow Diamond orders you to do something,  
you put your opinion aside and you do it.

And he had almost defended Lapis's actions of imprisoning her and Jasper. You can't defend Gems who do things like that.  
But at the very least, Yellow Diamond didn't seem too angered by it. Hopefully.

But on the other hand, now he's probably going to have to kill Lapis. A relatively innocent Gem, who was probably just confused,  
and just wanted to protect Steven.

And that was another problem.

How could he tell Steven? The boy was clearly worried for her, so how could he tell him he had to kill her?  
Just when he thought this mission would become easier, it just became a lot more difficult.

The next day...

Steven sat in front of the clock, staring at it constatly and impatiently, paying close attention to every minute that had passed. It was quarter to twelve.

The Gems had vacated very early in the morning, apparently to find some corrupted Gems, they told him.  
But he knew what they were actually doing. He had overheard a conversation last night in bed.  
Apparently they were actually looking for a Gem ship that landed near the city.

It was probably Mike's ship, unfortunately. So they already knew he landed on Earth.

Normally he would beg to go with them on a mission, but he knew that if the Gems found Mike, it's straight to the Burning Room.  
So he decided to stay home and help Mike with finding Peridot.  
He was just waiting for him to get here. He planned on trying to slowly coax him into joining him and the Crystal Gems.

He seemed eager to find his friends and go back to Homeworld, but surely he didn't actually WANT to side with them, right?  
That weird Gem fusion thing he and Garnet found in the Kindergarten before- he didn't seem like the kind of person who'd be okay with that, right? He seemed to be nice, other than his outburst at the funland.

And while the Gems would try to bubble him if they found him, Steven himself could try to introduce him to the Gems and promise he didn't want to cause trouble. They might be okay with him then, hopefully.

But those thoughts of redemption would have to wait. Right now, he had to help him look for Peridot.

He was pretty excited that they made a team to go and search for Peridot , but he didn't actually know where they should look for her.  
Maybe she'd be at the communication hub again? Or the Kindergarten? But he quickly brushed off the idea, considering she almost got caught the last time she went to those places, so she probably wouldn't go back to either of them, at least not immediately.

Steven was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the sound of the front door opening.  
He turned his head to the door, and was happy to see the nervous face of Mike peeking from behind the door.

"Good morning, Mike!" He greeted, getting to his feet.

He immediately noticed the boy. He took a quick glance around the house, before speaking.

"Are... the other ones with you?" He asked.

"You sound just like Peridot! Don't worry, it's safe to come in. The Gems left a while ago."

The Gem breathed a sigh of relief before entering the house.

"Okay... good. In that case, good morning to you, too." He greeted back. "So... you didn't say anything about me, right?  
Remember, I'm a secret to everybody." He lifted off his hat and scratched his head.

"..." The boy replied with silence. Should he tell him? He doesn't want him to have to worry about the Crystal Gems about knowing about him, but on the other hand, if he didn't tell him, he wouldn't see it coming if they find him.

"Hey, Steven!" Mike snapped his fingers, bringing Steven out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh! Well..." Steven scratched the back of his head, not knowing how to come out with it.

Mike kneeled down to him. "Steven... you can tell me. Do they know about me?" He asked.

"...Yeah.." He replied.

Mike let out a sigh. "Steven..."

"But I promise I didn't tell them anything! I heard them last night talking about how they saw a Gem ship on the news,  
and I figured it was probably you."

"The news...? You mean that thing where people with cameras film anything they think is interesting and put it on TV?"

Steven nodded.

"Alright... so they're looking for me. That's not good. Steven, do you have any idea where they might have gone?"

"Nuh-uh." The boy replied, shaking his head.

Mike rubbed his chin, his face racked with uncertainy. If the Crystal Gems were looking for him, considering their track record with tracking Peridot, it didn't exactly mean good things. Not in the slightest.

"Okay... so this means we're gonna have to be REALLY careful, then." The Gem rose to his feet. "Steven, come with me." He said,  
walking towards the door.

The boy quickly followed behind. "Wait, where are we going?" He asked.

"We're going to my warship. We can fly around wherever we need to, but we'll use it's cloaking device so we won't get spotted."

"Whoa, really? Cool!" The boy exclaimed. "Where is your ship?"

"It's pretty far out of town. It'll probably take a while to get there." Mike replied, opening the door, and the two went outside.

Mike immediately felt the hot summer weather. There was no cool breeze like there was yesterday. There wasn't even a single cloud in the sky, so he was at the mercy of the boiling hot sun.

As he and Steven walked down the beach towards town, he thought to himself about Lapis.  
He didn't WANT to kill her. Not one bit. Killing one of your own was always the worst part about being a Gem.

But if he didn't, than Yellow Diamond would surely do it herself. Then probably shatter him too.  
If he decided to not listen to Yellow Diamond and leave Lapis alive, that would be considered treason.  
And then he'd have every reason to have his Gemstone shattered.

If you help someone who threatened a mission, or especially betrayed another Gem, they're branded a traitor.  
So Yellow Diamond DID seem justified in ordering her death.

But could he actually do it? It's as simple as zapping Malachite with a destabilizer, and then crushing her Gem under his foot,  
but he didn't want to actually DO it. And besides, couldn't Yellow Diamond give her another chance?

She made a mistake, all Gems do. Although, it was a very big mistake. Even if he did somehow manage to convice her to let Lapis Lazuli live,  
she'd probably just rot in a prison cell for all eternity.

Or maybe... he could tell Yellow Diamond that he did kill her, and she could stay safe on Earth, perhaps?

...But then again, no Gem would probably want to stay on Earth, much less her. He has interviewed... no, interrogated, her before.  
He remembered asking her what Earth was like. It wasn't a question neccessary to the report, but he was curious to hear about how Earth had changed, to know if it still seemed like a nice place.

Although judging by her answer, it was clear the two had extremely different views about the little blue planet.  
She called it... garbage, worthless, a lot of terrible things. She clearly wasn't a fan.

So she probably wouldn't want to stay here, that's for sure.

So it seemed he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

But right now, he had to find a way to break it to Steven. Slowly.

"So... Steven." He started as they walked down the hot beach. "You and Lapis know each other well?"

"Yeah, we met when I let her out of a mirror she was stuck in, then I fixed her Gem after she took the ocean to try and get back home."

Mike acknowledged him with a nod. "Yeah, you told be that before. But what I'm asking you is... you're friends?"

"Totally! We're BSFB's!" He replied.

"...What?" Mike was confused by the acronym.

"It stands for Beach Summer Fun Buddies! Cause' me and Lapis did lots of fun stuff when she was in the mirror, like I would say something,  
and then she'd repeat it!"

"Interesting... you're good friends?"

"Yup! Best friends!"

Mike felt a slight stab of guilt every time Steven said how good friends they are.  
It was hard enough to be ordered to shatter a Gem, but if Steven and Lapis were best friends, then he couldn't possibly take her away from him like that... But he should still tell him.

"Hey... Steven? There's something I need to tell you..." He said, coming to a stop.

"What is it, Mike?" Steven asked, who also stopped walking.

"Alright... look... I can't really sugarcoat this, so I'll just come right out with it. Last night at the Kindergarten-

"STEVEN!" Three female voices boomed out from behind them, which made Steven's blood run cold.

"Oh no..." He murmured, as he and Mike turned to the direction of the voices, which came from a very angry looking Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl, who all had there respective weapons: Garnet with her gauntlets, Amethyst with her whip,  
and Pearl with her spear, all three ready to attack the Homeworld Gem.

"...Sh!t." Mike swore.

"Steven, get away from him, that Gem is from Homeworld!" Pearl shouted, brandishing her spear.

Mike took a step back. He observed the three Gems. The Crystal Gems.  
An Amethyst, a Pearl, and a Garnet, a fusion between Ruby and Sapphire Gems, their clothing adorned with stars rather than diamonds.  
The Crystal Gem's symbol.

This had NOT turned out like he expected.

"Steven... I thought you said they went looking for me somewhere else!" He said to Steven in a low voice.

"W-well I didn't know they were still in Beach City! I thought they went out of town or something!" Steven replied nervously.

Mike turned back to the Crystal Gems, adjusting the fedora on his head.

The Garnet fusion took a step forward. "Step away from the child immediately, Gem, before we have to hurt you." She ordered in a stone-cold tone.

"I thought we were gonna hurt him either way?" The Amethyst Gem said, slipping into the conversation, which earned her a smack on the back of the head by the Pearl.

"Amethyst, shush!" The Pearl whispered.

Mike looked to Steven in confusion.

"...Yeah, they don't get along so well sometimes..." He admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

Mike shook his head perturbedly.

"So, you gonna surender or what?" Amethyst spoke again, stretching her whip.

"No." Mike replied sternly, which seemed to surprise the Crystal Gems. "I'm just here to retrieve Peridot, Jasper, and Lapis Lazuli,  
not to be taken prisoner by the likes of you... earth Gems."

He knew these words were crossing a line. Each word that came out of him seemed to provoke the three Gems more and more.  
But he wasn't raised to just stand still and say nothing. He was taught to deal with problems to the best of his abilites. And he knew that if a fight were to occur, he would lose it.  
Pearls may be simple drones to be ordered around, and Amethysts relatively weak by Gem standards, but put em' together with a fusion like a Garnet, and that would probably not be an easy group to beat. After all, they took Peridot and Jasper out, and they had an entire warship on their side.

"That's some big talk, considering you're outnumbered 3-to-1, tough guy!" Amethyst retorted.

"And that's some big talk coming from such a shorty!" Mike shot back.

"Enough!" Garnet shouted at the two Gems, before turning back to Mike.

"You. You're a Hematite Gem?" She asked, looking down at his Gemstone.

"Uh... yes?" He answered.

"As I thought. Hematites are strong Gems. But their Gemstones are brittle, so they shatter easily.  
You may want to consider that before you do anything stupid."

She was right. Hematite Gemstones are considerably weaker than a lot of other Gemstones.  
And considering he was talking to a Garnet, not only being a powerful fusion but also having powerful gauntlets, all she had to do was give him one punch to the Gem with her gauntlets, and it was over.  
So he had to plan out what he said very carefully.

He took a few steps closer to the Crystal Gems, who raised their weapons.

His expression hardened, as he slowly took out his Gem Destabilizer.

The Crystal Gems braced themselves, while Steven looked on worringly.

And all four were shocked when Mike proceeded to toss the destabilizer over to the Crystal Gems,  
landing in the sand in front of their feet.

They looked at the weapon, and back to Mike.

"My name is Mike. I don't like to be called by my Gem, unlike almost every other Gem in existence.  
Don't ask why, that's just who I am. But that's not the point.  
You see that boy over there?" He said, pointing to Steven. "...We both feel the same way about all this fighting. It's pointless.  
We both don't want to fight anybody. I definitely don't want to fight you Gems. Despite the things you've done to Homeworld,  
I don't want to do anything to harm you, I don't want to do anything to harm Steven, and I certainly don't want to do anything to harm this planet. I understand that Peridot and Jasper haven't been... reasonable Gems, but I can personally assure you,  
if you don't do anything to harm them, or me, I can make sure they don't try to harm you.  
I will take them back to Homeworld, and I can make sure Yellow Diamond doesn't find out that you all live on Earth.  
You will never have to worry about Peridot or Jasper harrassing you ever again."

The Crystal Gems all looked at one another in mild surprise and confusion at the Gem's offer.  
Was it a trick? Or was he telling the truth, and was being sincere?

All of their previous encounters with Gems from Homeworld usually ended in them all getting captured or nearly killed, but this Gem apparently wanted to make peace with them? An odd turn of events, to be sure.

All the while, Mike looked back at the Crystal Gems, with a look of fearlessness.  
On the inside however, he was terrified. He was making such an offer with Crystal Gems, one's that could easily shatter him in an instant if they wanted to. And what if they rejected the offer? Or thought he was lying? What would happen then? Shattering?

But he suddenly felt the comforting warmth of Steven's hand grasp his.  
He looked down to the boy, who was staring down the Crystal Gems sternly.

"Steven..." Was all Pearl managed to say.

"He's telling the truth, you guys! He's a nice Gem. When he found out I have my mom's Gem, he didn't try to hurt me like Jasper did.  
In fact, he actually _saved me_ from a corrupted Gem yesterday, even though he got hurt protecting me!  
And he doesn't want to hurt you, me, or Earth. He just wants to find his friends and go home.  
That's not a reason to hurt him, right?" Steven declared.

Amethyst and Pearl looked to the boy unsurety. They both looked to Garnet for her imput.  
The fusion simply looked back at them, and gave a slow nod.

Without any words, the Crystal Gems slowly placed their weapons on the ground, where they dissapeared in a flash of light.

Garnet looked back down to the Hematite Gem.

"I'm going against my better judgement on this. But I want you to know something. These Gems are very important to me.  
We're a team. If you do anything to harm any of them..."

"Then you can shatter my Gem without any resistance." Mike interrupted. "But you have my word, I really don't want to hurt anybody."

He didn't see her expression change through her visor. But the previous tension was definitely a lot less prominent.

"...Come with us. We'll discuss at the temple." Was all she replied, her voice as stoic as ever.

Without any more words, all five Gems began the not-very-long-at-all walk back to the Crystal Temple.

Nobody said anything aloud, but in their heads, they couldn't stop thinking.

Pearl and Amethyst were wondering, despite the new Gems's apparent non-hostile intentions, why Garnet was going to trust him so easily,  
as well as wondering if he had actually saved Steven. Surely he didn't know about Rose's Gem when he did it?  
They don't know at all what goes on on Homeworld these days, but they knew that if a Gem from there were to find Rose Quartz,  
or her Gem, they'd shatter it at the first oppurtunity. Just what was this Gem planning?

Garnet was wondering why this Gem actually didn't want to harm them or Earth, or if he was even telling the truth at all.  
But she was going to _'trust'_ him only because Steven did. If a Gem from Homeworld would not only not attack, but protect Rose Quartz's son, than she didn't see any reason to just outright bubble or break him.  
As for her future vision, she didn't see any immediate breach of his words to them.

Mike was wondering what exactly the Crystal Gems wanted to 'discuss' with him.  
And was also slightly bothered by the fact that he would have to put off his search for Peridot temporarily.  
The more he delayed, the less likely he will find Peridot. What if she was on a different continent by now or something? She really knows how to work her fingers, after all...

...Why did that sound wrong?

Steven, however, was the only one thinking positively about the situation.  
While he hadn't expected the Gems to find out about Mike so quickly, this could actually really help redeem Mike.  
His kind personality didn't really seem like he likes whatever evil things that Homeworld does, like that cluster thing and treating Lapis the way they did.

And he's the only Gem so far from Homeworld who actually _likes_ Earth. Even Lapis said Earth was a miserable place,after all...  
But now that the Gems knew about him, he could really get to know all of them, and then maybe he'll really see how the Crystal Gems are the ones doing the right thing, and maybe join them or something.

The last thing Steven wanted was for him to choose the wrong side.

 **...**

 **Sorry for the short hiatus, everyone! I wanted to spend the last few days of summer relaxing, so expect the next chapter soon!**

 **School may start Tuesday, but that won't stop me from writing.**

 **Also, now that Mike/Hematite has met the Crystal Gems, this story can finally go somewhere interesting!**

 **And that thing about Hematite Gems being hard but brittle is actually true in real life.**

 **I'm trying to be as accurate as possible when comparing Mike to real Hematites.**

 **See you in the next chapter! ^^**


	9. Chapter 8: Glitch

Mike sat impatiently twiddling his thumbs while sitting on the plush couch in the living room of Steven's house, periodically taking glances around the house. Steven was asked to wait outside.

While he and Steven had convinced the Crystal Gems not to beat the hell out of him on the beach, he was unaware of what they were going to do now. Just let him leave, find Peridot, and quit wasting his time? Or try and interrogate him about Homeworld?

Cause if they tried to ask him about that, he'd stab himself through the chest right then and there.  
...Okay, not really, but if he told them any compromising information about Yellow Diamond or Homeworld, then he could forget about returning there ever again. If Yellow Diamond found out he revealed something crucially important to Homeworld,  
like any sort of... weakness or liability, that would be treason, and he'd be shattered or exiled from Homeworld forever.

He just needed to find Peridot, Lapis, and Jasper and leave. They didn't need to complicate things.

His attention was then drawn to the entrance to the temple, where the three Crystal Gems entered.

Garnet was the one who approached him.

"Michael, me, Pearl and Amethyst discussed it, and we have come to a conclusion about you."

Mike stared up at her in confusion at the pronunciation of his name.  
He prefered Mike over Michael, but he decided not to point it out, as it didn't matter too much.

"If you're telling the truth about not wanting to harm anyone, then we will return the favor and not harm you.  
However, there are some conditions that you must follow to ensure this all doesn't go south."

"Okay. Shoot." Mike replied.

"Good. First things first, you should understand that we don't want a Gem from Homeworld wandering around out there without supervision. We don't know what you're capable of, and we don't want you to cause any sort of trouble or panic in town.  
So we think it would be best if you stayed here in the beach house with someone watching you, and only leaving if we allow or accompany you."

"...So, basically, you're holding me prisoner." Mike stated.

"It's the only way." Garnet replied, crossing her arms. "Now, as for searching for Peridot, we will allow you to accompany us on scouting missions, seeing as how you're the only one here that Peridot will trust. And, if a fight ensues, we expect you not to turn on us. You two may be Homeworld allies, but if you both don't want to be bubbled and sent to the burning room,  
I suggest you side with us.  
...And as for Lapis and Jasper, I'm assumming Steven informed you of their current state of affairs?"

"...Malachite." Mike replied, very bothered by the rules Garnet had laid down.

"Yes. Malachite is currently somewhere at the bottom of the ocean right now. She could however, return any possible moment.  
When that happens, we expect your help in subduing her. Her sudden appearance won't give any of us the time we need to fuse,  
so we'll need all the help we can get in unfusing her. And should you break any of the rules I told you, you will be bubbled immediately.  
Do you agree to these terms?"

Mike lowered his head and sighed.

This was not at all what he had hoped for. They wouldn't let him just look for Peridot on his own?  
And he had to be constantly supervised? This only made things harder for him.

These Gems may have found Peridot a number of times, but what happens when they find her this time? There's no way she would trust them!  
She had no previous knowledge of the Crystal Gems, but she's a smart Gem, and considering these are the Gems that took one of her body parts, she wouldn't trust that they wouldn't hurt or capture her. And if she tried to run, than what would happen?  
Would the Crystal Gems chase her down? Or would he have to get involved?

It's not like he had a choice, though. It was either that, or he would be bubbled for all eternity.

"Yeah..." He reluctantly accepted.

"Alright." Garnet replied. "Now, with that out of the way, if you don't mind, there are some questions we'd like to ask you..."

"Yeah, like what's up with your skin?" Amethyst interjected.

"Amethyst!" Pearl exclaimed.

"Y'know, on this planet, that's considered racism." Mike chimed in.

"She doesn't mean to come off as offensive..." Pearl apologized. "...Well, maybe she does, but to be fair, it's a relatively fair question.  
Hematite Gems don't have any sort of ability to change their skin color,  
which is normally the same as their Gem, like all other Gems. Surely there is some reason for it looking like that?"

Mike bit his lower lip. He hated telling this story. It always made him moody.

"There is. I'm sure that at least one of you knows that Hematite Gems are primarily formed on Mars?" He asked.

Garnet and Pearl nodded, while Amethyst shook her head.

"Anyways, Yellow Diamond wanted to see what would happen if a Hematite were to be formed on Earth's Kindergarten.  
She wanted to see if it was possible to do, or if it would never form due to Earth's atmosphere.  
So she ordered a Gem by the name of Tourmaline to form a Hematite Gem on Earth.  
And that's how I was made."

"And your skin?" Amethyst interrupted.

"I'm getting to that." Mike replied, slightly agitated. "So, I was grown in the Earth's Kindergarten, but... there was a mistake.  
You see, Hematites aren't meant to be formed on Earth. While it may be very plentiful of regular, lifeless Hematites, but Hematite Gems aren't supposed to be made here.

I don't know how, or why, but my Gem glitched when it was formed. Maybe it was the presence of humans on Earth, but my skin turned out peach, my hair brown, and my eyes... green."

"Wait... so, you're...?" Pearl tried to say.

"Yes. I'm a failed Gem experiment. A defect." He finished for her, his muscles tense.

The Crystal Gems all looked mildly surprised.  
A defect that was still alive? That was impossible, as on Homeworld, defective Gems were always shattered immediately.

"A defect? There's no way... why weren't you shattered...?" Pearl asked, confused.

Mike rested his head in his hand. "Because of Tourmaline. She convinced Yellow Diamond to let me live, and she agreed not to shatter me.  
She was always an incredibly nice Gem. A... very good friend to me. So, now you know why I look like this.  
It's not my choice."

Garnet scratched the side of her head. "I'll admit, that's an... interesting story. Has this... defectiveness, for lack of a better word,  
affected anything? Your mind, your abilities?" She asked.

"It's... taken it's toll." Mike replied.

"How so?"

"...Sigh, fine. You see, Hematites have a natural ability of duplicating themselves, like for more effecient work.  
But that glitch... prevents me from doing so."

"That's all? No mental problems?" Garnet questioned.

"...No." Mike replied, avoiding eye contact like he had been doing almost the whole conversation.

Garnet looked like she wanted to ask, something else, but decided against it.

"Alright. That's all we're going to ask you for now. Me and the Gems need to discuss a few more things. Excuse us."

And with that, the three Gems exited the living room and headed back to the entrance to the temple.

Mike silently watched them go. He didn't like how he had to talk about his past to them.  
It was just about as uncomfortable as every other time he had to discuss it to anyone.

He never wanted to talk about it. It was depressing. The glitch that permanently messed up his life, the limitations and how it had messed up his mind. But at least the held off more questions, that he could be thankful for...

"Mike...?" He suddenly heard the voice of Steven behind him.  
He quickly turned around to see him, and saw he was standing very close to him. He had a glint of sympathy in his eyes.

"Steven...?" Mike said back, shifting in his seat. Steven sat down next to him.

Mike turned away from the boy, and there was a very brief moment of silence.

"...Did you hear all that?" Mike asked, still looking away.

"...Yeah." Steven replied. "So... you're an experiment?"

"...Yeah. Yeah, I am. I didn't really want to admit it, but... it's true."

"And that's why you look like that?"

"Uh-huh."

Steven thought for a moment. "How... how does that make you feel?"

Mike finally looked at Steven. He was asking... how he felt? He didn't know why he was asking this question all of a sudden, but he figured it was no harm to answer it.

"Well Steven, to be honest... it makes me feel a bunch of different feelings. It makes me feel useless, because I didn't turn out the way I was supposed to... sad, because of what that glitch... has done to me... but... I think I also feel... angry.  
Angry because all I was meant to be was an experiment. A guinea pig, nothing more than that.  
And Yellow Diamond felt no sympathy for me... in fact, as I said, she just wanted me shattered as soon as she saw me...  
she doesn't care about me. At all. To her, I'm just a worthless, broken excuse for a Gem. For an anything..."

Steven watched the Gem choke back his emotions as he confessed his feelings.  
Steven had never expected Mike to have such a sad past like he described.  
And the more he confessed, the less Steven was convinced that Mike actually enjoyed life on Homeworld.

So he decided to just come right out with his offer.

The boy placed a comforting hand on the Gem's shoulder, who seemed surprised at first, but ultimately accepted the gesture

"Mike... how do you like it on Homeworld?" The boy asked.

He looked up at Steven once again. "What...?"

"I mean-like, do you like it there? Cause the way you're talking about your feelings, it sounds like... you don't like it there...?"

Mike sat up further in his seat. He didn't look like he had a legitimate answer, but he certainly gave one.

"Steven... that's... an interesting question. It's my home. It wasn't where I was born, but... it's where I was raised, where I learned how to live, how to fight, and how to survive in this galaxy. And, I gotta say, it was a nice place to live, at first.  
They give you an education, a place to live, and a job, it was nice... but... then I found out why the Gem War started.  
Your mother, Rose Quartz, rebelled against Homeworld because she and her Crystal Gems wanted to protect Earth.  
I asked a good friend of mine, Tourmaline, why they wanted to protect Earth.  
And she told me. She said, 'Because she didn't want them to do to Earth and it's inhabitants what they've done to handfuls of planets across the galaxy... invade, destroy all life, build a Kindergarten, and harvest Gems.

When I found that out, I didn't know what to think. I was told my whole life that Rose Quartz was a traitor, that she slaughtered thousands of Homeworld's best, including Blue Diamond and White Diamond, two Gems that used to rule alongside Yellow Diamond.  
But she was just doing it to protect a planet from dying... sure, she was betraying Homeworld, but... she was doing it to protect Earth and it's humans. Homeworld are the bad ones. They destroy planets just to make more soldiers and scientists to help them rule the galaxy. Homeworld is selfish. It's... evil. So... to answer your question... no, I don't enjoy life on Homeworld.  
Sure, I have a few allies there, but... no, I don't really like life there...

Steven stared back at Mike in completely utter disbelief. A nice Gem like him didn't even like it on Homeworld and he thinks his mom was the good guy? Maybe he would like to join him and the Gems after all!

"Mike, that's... perfect!" Steven replied excitedly.

"...Huh?" Mike questioned the cheery boy.

"I said it's perfect! That means you can join the good side, me and the Crystal Gems! If you hate it on Homeworld, then why not join up with us? Life on Earth is awesome! They're's tons of other awesome things to do on Earth, and you can be really good friends with Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst! You'd be the perfect Gem to-

"Woah, woah, woah, Steven, slow down!" Mike interrupted, raising his hands up.

"What? What's the matter?" Steven asked, confused.

"Steven... buddy, you're a nice kid. A really nice kid. And while I did enjoy the few things we did together, I can't just do that." Mike replied,  
placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"But... why not?" Steven asked, his cheeriness turning to dissapointment.

"Because, while I don't paticularly enjoy life on Homeworld, I can't just leave. Do you know what would happen if I did that?"

Steven didn't say anything back, instead looking back with a look encouraging him to continue explaining.

"If I did that, turn my back on Homeworld, than it would only end one way. With me being crushed."

"B-but... why?"

"Well, I mean, look at Jasper. She's wholly devoted to Homeworld and Yellow Diamond.  
And she's a Gem way out of my league. She wouldn't even have a problem breaking me. Heck, all she would have to do is smash my Gem with her weird looking helmet. And, if Yellow Diamond found out I betrayed her, which she would, she'd send her toughest, strongest Gems here to shatter me. Don't you see? If they come here, not only will they shatter me, but they'll find you, and when they discover who's Gem you have, you'll be next. I really appreciate your offer, Steven. I really do. But if I do that, it doesn't just endanger me, it endangers you, it endangers the Crystal Gems, it endangers Beach City... and it endangers all of Earth.  
And if you died because of me... I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I could have prevented it.  
You're nice. You accept me as a friend even after what Homeworld's put you and your friends through. But if I leave Homeworld, that's just endangering me, you, and practically everything on Earth.  
Without any Crystal Gems, who will protect Earth? Humans are in no way technologically or physically able to fight against Homeworld,  
so if they came looking for me, they'd kill me, they'd kill you, they'd kill the Crystal Gems... and then they'd kill Earth."

"N-nuh-uh! We'd kick their butts! Together, me and the Gems are unstoppable! And if you joined us-

"Steven." The Homeworld Gem interrupted again. "Just... look, I can't... you're making this..."

Mike let out a loud groan and leaned back in his seat, covering his face with his hands.

"Mike? I didn't mean to..." Steven began, reaching out to the agitated Gem.

"This is too much for me to deal with right now, Steven." Mike said, rejecting the boy's gesture.

"What do you mean?" Steven asked, worringly.

"I mean with all of this. Having to find three Gems, one of which I hate, all this stuff with the Crystal Gems... and you."

Steven didn't say anything. He just looked back with a hurt expression.

"I need to be alone right now. Just... go." He requested.

"Steven looked at his new friend in sadness. He was digging his nails into his forehead, uncaring whether it hurt or not.  
Should he have pushed the question that far? He didn't know he would've gotten so stressed over it.  
Steven desperately wanted to apologize, but thought it might just upset him more.

So he silently got off of the couch, walked over to the stairs to his room, and looked back at Mike.  
It didn't seem like he even realized Steven had left.

The boy turned back and walked up to his room, and proceeded to climb into his bed and laid on his back.  
All the while, one question bounced around in his head.

Was everything going to turn out okay?

Meanwhile, Mike continued digging his finger nails into his forehead, ignoring the slight headache it gave him.  
He didn't care. He just had to not break something.

"You're going to cut yourself if you keep that up." He heard the stoic voice of Garnet speak.

"...I take it you heard all that?" He said, hands still on his face.

"Yep." Garnet replied. "Now come on, don't do that to yourself. Take your hands away from your face."

The Gem complied, and slowly removed his hands from his face, revealing several lacerations on his forehead.

"... I see you don't take stress well."

"...Is there a rule you forgot or something?" He asked sarcastically in response.

"Don't get smart with me, I just want to talk. About you and Steven." She replied.

The tall fusion sat down on the couch next to Mike.

"Hematite. Or... Michael. I want you to know something. Something important."

Mike looked up to the Gem, the lines of a light blue liquid very visible on various parts of his forehead.

"I know you're not a bad Gem. When we saw you on the beach, for the first moments, I thought you would be like Jasper or Peridot.  
I thought you were going to harm Steven. But you didn't. You did the complete opposite.  
Not only did you save his life, but you two seem to be growing a fondess for each other.  
Every other Homeworld Gem that's come here recently has been nothing but trouble.

Lapis stole the ocean, injured Steven's father, almost drowned him and one of his friends, and had me, Amethyst and Pearl on the ropes,  
and then told Jasper and Peridot our location.

Peridot attempted to re-activate the Kindergarten, which would have been disastrous, and then tried to get rid of us many times,  
every attempt ironically all involving a Gem ship.

And Jasper, who came here, violently attacked us, and then tried to turn Steven in to Homeworld after discovering his Gemstone.  
To this day, she probably still thinks that he's Rose in disguise."

The Homeworld Gem was now listening intently on the conversation.

"And then there's... you. You knew he was Rose's son, had her Gem, yet you did what any Homeworld Gem wouldn't do in a thousand millenia.  
You protected him. You could have either left him to die, or you could have killed him yourself. You could have easily done it.  
But you saved him. And then you decided to be friends with him.

And I know that on Homeworld, friendship is almost as looked down upon as fusion.  
Not only did you make a friend, but that friend is the son of the one who rebelled against Homeworld with an army.  
I can tell you genuinely care about him. It's not a facade to gain his trust. I can feel it."

"Yeah... yeah, I guess I do..." Mike said in a hushed tone.

"And then, when you we encountered each other on the beach, you could have fought us. And you could've had a chance of beating us.  
You had a destabilizer. All you had to do was so much as prick us with that thing, and we would have had to retreat to our Gems.  
But instead, you showed your desire to not want to fight anybody. You surrendered, just like that.  
Any Homeworld Gem would rather die a warrior's death than be captured. But you were completely fine with it.

And then, you said the most shocking thing I've ever heard from a Homeworld Gem. That you hate Homeworld, and the things they do.  
And your only reason for not defecting from them is to protect Steven, The Crystal Gems, and Earth.  
No Homeworld Gem would ever do such a thing. Basically what I'm trying to tell you is this: I know you're good. I know you're pure.  
I can sense it, I can see it with my future vision. So I just want to tell you this. I trust you.  
While your rule that you can't be outside without supervision seems strict, I did that for Amethyst and Pearl.  
They don't trust you. And if I told them that I did trust you, than they may lose faith in me.

I'm usually never wrong, but those two are stubborn. Very stubborn. If they thought that I trusted a Homeworld Gem that we just met, no matter how nice you acted or not, that wouldn't immediately cement their feeling about you.  
So you're going to need to earn their trust. I don't know how you'll do it, but I know you can.  
Hematites are strong. Reliable. Confident. Trustworthy. But most importantly, they protect the ones they care about.

And your doing just that. I don't know if you're still going to return to Homeworld, or if you wish to join our ranks, but if you do...  
I know you'd make an excellent Crystal Gem." The de-facto leader of the Crystal Gems stated, placing a hand on Mike's shoulder.

For a moment, all he could do was stare back at her. Staring at the reflection of him in her visor.  
He looked at himself carefully. At his scratched forehead, at his mussed up hair, at his partially charred shirt.  
The shirt that beared Yellow Diamond's insignia.

"Garnet..." Was all he could say.

The fusion looked up to the second floor of the house, Mike's gaze following close behind. Steven's room.

"Talk to him." She said encouragingly, taking her hand of his now relaxed shoulder.

Mike slowly got up from his seat. He started walking to the staircase.

And stopped.

"...Garnet... I... appreciate everything you just said. I do. But I have one question. About Steven..." He said.

"What's that?" Garnet asked, adjusting her visor.

"... Assuming I would want to stay and join you... how can I know if he'll be safe from Yellow Diamond?"

"Because, we're all here to protect Steven. So he can grow into a great leader one day.  
One that can maybe lead us to end this conflict once and for all. None of us will ever let anything happen to him.  
And that includes anything that Yellow Diamond throws at us. He'll be safe, whether you stay or leave." She replied.

Mike replied with a slow, thinkful nod, before going up the stairs.  
He saw Steven immediately, laying on his bed, facing the window, watching the slow, quiet waves of the ocean.

Mike slowly approached the child, and looked down to him intently.

 _"He'll be safe, whether you stay or leave..."_ Garnet's words repeating in his head.

Should he do it? Should he... stay on Earth, with Steven, with the Crystal Gems?  
How would it work? What would they do all day, every day? He didn't have to do any sort of biography work on Gems,  
or go and scout Kindergartens... would they just... hang out? Talk? Hunt for corrupted Gems?

This was a big question. Perhaps the biggest of his life. Betray Homeworld, and have a fun life on Earth, or return to Homeworld,  
and leave Earth to fend for itself?

It was hard for him to find any logical reason to return to Homeworld. He didn't like it there, didn't have any friends,  
and Homeworld does nothing but horrible things. The experiments requiring unwilling test subjects, the cluster... the unfair deaths...

But if he stayed on Earth, than he could actually live without fear of punishment over the tiniest mistakes,  
the chance to have a true friend in Steven, and for the first time since he was born... he could join the side he always wanted to.  
While he witnessed Crystal Gems do questionable things during the war, it didn't compare at all to what Homeworld does.

It was clear that his decision would not only affect his life, but perhaps Steven and the Crystal Gem's as well.

...And he thinks he knows the answer.

He sat down on the bed next to the boy, who hadn't turned to look at him.

"Hey, bud." Mike said.

"...I'm sorry for bugging you with the question..." Steven apologized, earning Mike some guilt.

"No Steven, you're not the one who needs to apologize. I am. _I'm_ sorry for snapping at _you_ , it was uncalled for.  
It was just with all the stuff that's going on, I was just angry. I shouldn't have been mean to you. And I'm sorry."

Steven still hadn't turned around, but Mike could feel a lot less tension from the boy.

He scratched the back of his head. "Look, Steven... I had a really good conversation with Garnet a minute ago.  
She told me that she trusts me and thinks that I'd make a really good Crystal Gem..."

Steven sat up, a slight squeak eminating from the bed. "That's why I was asking you. You seem like a perfect fit for our team." He said quietly.

"Yeah... look, what I'm saying is, those words really spoke to me. The fact that she was so confident that I'm not evil like Jasper or Yellow Diamond, and when she said that she would welcome me if I wanted to join you... coming from a wise Gem like a Garnet, it sort of struck a chord.

So... I did some thinking, and I've decided what I want to do."

Steven waited expectantly for his answer.

"... At first, when I came to this planet, it was just about finding some Gems that got stranded.  
After that, I would go back to Homeworld and continue doing my boring biographies.  
But, despite the fact I've only known you for two days, you made me want to stay here. You showed me that Earth is a fun place, and you weren't worried at all when you found out I was from Homeworld.  
And then you were so eager to help me find Peridot, Lapis and Jasper. You treated me with a kindness I never would have expected from a Crystal Gem to a Homeworld Gem. At first though, I thought it would be dangerous for me to stay here.  
But after Garnet convinced me everything would be fine, I knew the answer. Steven, I-

Both Gems jumped when a sudden beeping noise came from Mike's wrist communicator.

"Oh no. Not now..." He uttered, holding up his arm.

"What? What's that beeping noise, Mike?" Steven asked worringly.

Mike hesitated for a moment. This was the worst possible time for a call from Yellow Diamond.  
He brought up his screen. "Steven, I need you to stay quiet."

"But why? What is that?"

"Because that's Yellow Diamond calling, and she can NOT see you. Just trust me, and stay quiet." Mike ordered,  
before pressing his screen. Yellow Diamond appeared immediately.

"Yellow Diamond..." Mike said. He didn't salute this time.

"Hematite. We must speak." The Gem overlord stated, in her low voice.

"Uh-of course, my... _lord."_ He replied, slightly hesitant.

"It's about the Gems you're searching for. I'll start with Lapis Lazuli . Do you have any idea why she just betrayed Jasper out of the blue? I want to know why exactly she'd make a grave mistake like that. Surely there was a reason for it."

Mike took a glance at Steven, who was staying completely silent.

"...No... no, I have no idea. Perhaps she was angry for being locked up and interrogated for no reason at all?" He replied,  
only realizing too late how he used sarcasm.

Yellow Diamond's eyes darkened ever so slightly. "Hematite... did you just give me sass?" She questioned.

Mike scratched his head nervously, slightly recoiling in pain when he scratched his cuts on his forehead.

Yellow Diamond noticed the cut marks on his forehead. "Wait... what happened to your forehead, Gem?" She asked suspicously.

Mike looked up to his forehead. "Huh? OH, uh, no I... I did that to myself. I wasn't attacked."

Steven looked up at the cuts. He did that to himself? Why would he cut his own head? Did he do it after Steven told him to leave...?

Yellow Diamond chuckled in response. "So I see. Had another 'episode', did you?"

Mike could hear the mockery and condecsension in her words. He clenched his non-visible fist hard, so hard that his nails began digging into his palm.

"Hmph, I suppose it doesn't matter if you mutilate yourself. All that matters is that you bring those failures Peridot and Jasper back here,  
and you shatter Lapis Lazuli's Gem to pieces..."

Steven felt a sudden jolt of shock. She wanted him to do what? Shatter Lapis's Gem...? But that would kill her!  
Surely he wasn't actually planning to do that, was he? He couldn't!

"Mike, you're gonna what?!" The boy blurted out, surprising both Mike and Yellow Diamond.

Mike looked at Steven with a shocked look spread across his face.

"Mike... she wants you to kill Lapis? You're not actually gonna do that, are you?" Steven asked.

"Hematite! WHO'S talking to you?! Answer me!" Yellow Diamond demanded, slamming a fist down on her keyboard.

Mike moved his screen away from Steven. "No one! There's no one here, Yellow Diamond, it's just-

But the Gem was abruptly cut off when Steven grabbed his arm and jerked it over to him, to where he was face to face with Yellow Diamond.  
She was pretty scary looking. Her entire body was shrouded in shadow, the only visible thing being her dark yellow eyes.

"I'm talking to him! Steven Universe! And why do you get a right to say whether Lapis lives or not? She did nothing wrong, she was just doing what she did to protect me and my friends! That's not a reason to kill her, how can you be so cruel?!" Steven shouted.

Yellow Diamond was legitimatly shocked at the sudden appearance of the child. But this shock instantly turned to anger.

"You... you little swine of a brat! How DARE you talk like that to me! Do you have any idea, ANY IDEA, WHO I AM!?" Yellow Diamond barked at the child. "HEMATITE! How dare you socialize with a _runt_ of a human like this?! You've been told, millions of times...  
Don't. Talk.. To.. HUMANS! DO YOU EVER DO ANYTHING RIGHT, **YOU** **WORTHLESS, DEFORMED PIECE OF GARBAGE!?"**

Mike couldn't even respond. He was in shock from her outburst. Yellow Diamond was absolutely livid.

"You know what?! I have absolutely HAD IT with you! When you get back here, I am going to _CRUSH_ your Gemstone until there's nothing left but dust, do you hear me!? I will crush it in every single painful way possible! And I'll make sure to do it while you're outside your Gem, so you can feel every. bit. of. PAIN." The Gem overlord was so angry, where were several visible veins in her arms and forehead, and her pupils were retracting.

"He's not afraid of you! And neither am I! Right, Mike?"

Steven turned to his friend for support, but he only saw one thing in his face. And it wasn't bravery.

It was fear.

He grabbed Steven's hand, and gently pulled it off of his arm.

He cleared his throat. "...Yellow Diamond, you... you don't need to do that. Just calm down-

"Shut your mouth, Hematite. It's too late for apologies." Yellow Diamond snapped. "This is how things are going to go.  
You're going to shatter Lapis Lazuli, you will bring her Gem shards to me, then I'm going to annihilate you.  
And then, I'm going to crush Peridot for failing her mission. And then, I'm going to replace you both with better Gems.  
Maybe the next Hematite won't be broken like you..."

"WHAT?!" Mike was completely beside himself. "You never said anything about crushing her, why would you even do that!?"

Yellow Diamond shook her head. "Of course, you're too stupid to understand. Gems who fail me are completely worthless.  
Peridot has failed one too many times already. Every time I sent her to Earth on a mission, she screws it up completely.  
I tell her to re-activate the Kindergarten. She fails. I ask her to do it again. She fails again.  
Then I authorize the use of a damn warship to dispose of a few defects, and she can't even do that right.

She's outlived her usefulness. As have you. But first, I demand you take care of that human child first..."

 **...**

 **Hey, did we just learn stuff about Mike? Cool! Things are getting serious, though.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	10. Chapter 9: Discussions, Discussions

_**Booyah, brand new chapter! Hope I didn't make you guys wait long!**_

 _ **...**_

"She has outlived her usefulness. As have you. But first, I demand you take care of that human child first..."

"W-what?" Mike asked, looking over to Steven, who looked just as worried. She didn't mean...?

"Kill it. Now." Yellow Diamond ordered.

Mike glared at his leader with pure, absolute anger. She orders him to kill Lapis, then decides to shatter him, Peridot and Jasper,  
and then has the nerve, the guts, to order him to kill Steven!?

There went his last shred of patience.

"...No." He growled, through cletched teeth.

"...Did you... just say no to me...?! Hematite, you-

"QUIT CALLING ME HEMATITE!" Mike shouted at the screen, silencing Yellow Diamond.

"I gave up that name a long, LONG time ago, Yellow Diamond! I hate being called that, and you know it!  
I am absolutely SICK of you. Physically and verbally abusing me for years, even though I always listened to everything you ordered me to do! And you always did it because you enjoyed it. You enjoy the suffering of me, you enjoy the suffering of everyone but yourself! But you know what?! I'm DONE with taking orders from somebody as awful as you!

You are a heartless, emotionless, carless, thoughtless, horrific disgrace of a leader! Of a Gem in general!"

"Do not... talk to me like that...! I am your leader! You are NOTHING without me! You are NOTHING! YOU HEAR ME?! NOTHING!" Yellow Diamond screeched through the screen.

"No... I'm not nothing without you, Yellow Diamond. You've been the entire reason my life has been so full of misery!  
You treat me like a tool, because that's all I am to you! That's all ANY Gem is to you! You don't care about anyone but yourself!"

"Silence... you have... no idea... HOW BIG A MISTAKE YOU ARE MAKING RIGHT NOW, FOOL! If you were here right now,  
I would rip you to shreds! You are speaking OUT OF LINE, HEMATITE! I DEMAND YOU TAKE THAT BACK, RIGHT NOW!"

Mike shook his head. "You just don't get it, do you, Yellow Diamond? I'm done taking orders from you. DONE.  
You're not the boss of me anymore." He pointed to Steven. "Do you see this boy? This child has shown me more kindess in two days than you have in THOUSANDS of years! You've never treated me with any sort of respect in my whole life!  
But him? He offered me help as soon as we met, and offered me to stay on this planet with him. And you know what? I intend to!

If I can't return to Homeworld without you crushing everyone, then why should I bother returning there at all!  
Unlike you, I like this planet, and I see no reason to destroy it just so you can create a few extra Gems!

So you can forget about me shattering Lapis, you can forget about me bringing Peridot to you just to be shattered, you can forget about me bringing Jasper back, and you can forget about me EVER returning to Homeworld!"

Mike reached for his screen to end the transmission.

"HEMATITE" Yellow Diamond boomed. "Don't you DARE end this transmission! I will find you, and I will annihilate you!  
I know you're on Earth, you worthless, traitorless scum!"

"True, but you don't know WHERE I am on Earth, do you?... Goodbye, Yellow Diamond." The Gem bid farewell to his now-former leader,  
ending the communication. He then proceeded to remove his communicator, and threw it on the ground, the impact instantly breaking it into several pieces.

"...And Goodbye, Homeworld." He finished.

Mike took a deep breath. He had done it. He had screwed himself out of ever returning to Homeworld.  
He had screwed himself out of ever seeing any of the Gems there again.  
He couldn't believe Yellow Diamond. She lied to him. She NEVER said anything about wanting to shatter Peridot and Jasper...  
And now he finally stood up to her.  
...And he couldn't be happier.

He dropped to the ground and leaned back on the side of Steven's bed.

Steven watched him in silence. He had actually chosen Earth over Homeworld...  
...Does this mean... he'll become a Crystal Gem now? He wondered.

"Mike...? Are you... okay?" The boy asked.

"...Am I okay...?" Mike repeated. "Am I okay...? Are you kidding, Steven?! I'm better than okay!  
I finally spoke down to Yellow Diamond like she was nothing! And it felt amazing!" He replied with charisma.

Steven observed the Gem's smiling face. He was clearly satisfied with what he said!

Steven moved a bit closer to him. "So does this mean... you're staying with us?" He asked eagerly.

Mike rested an arm over his kneecap, and turned to the boy, cheerily smiling at him.

"...Looks like it, Steven. I'm staying." He replied.

The answer caused Steven to replicate the happy smile Mike wore.

Without warning, he pounced on Mike and wrapped him into a big hug.

"That's great, Mike!" He exclaimed, digging his face into the bigger Gem's chest. "I'm so glad!"

Mike returned the gesture by wrapping his arms around the boy.

"Hey, there was no way I was gonna hurt you, Lapis, or anyone.. friends... don't hurt friends. And we're friends... right?" He said.

"Of course we're friends! That's why I wanted you to stay on Earth! And now you are! It's awesome!" Steven replied.

"Yeah... yeah, it is, isn't it? I'm staying on Earth... for good."

Mike patted the boy on the back. "Looks like we'll get to keep working together after this all blows over, huh?"

The two pulled away from each other.

"This is so cool!" Steven threw his arms into the air. "There's so many more things I wanna show you on Earth!  
We're gonna do so many cool things together!"

...All the while, Garnet was watching from below in the living room. She had listened to the whole thing.  
It was definitely an interesting turn of events. The last thing she expected was for Yellow Diamond to contact Michael right now.

She sounded just about as cynical and heartless as she remembered from her days on Homeworld.  
From behind a screen, her threats were empty. She'd say all the horrible things she could, but she couldn't carry out a single threat. She remembered whenever it would happen during the war.  
She'd contact them, and talk about all the things she'd do when she got her hands on Rose or any Crystal Gems,  
but as she never dared to step foot on Earth during the war, the threat was rendered moot.

And that was the case here. She made all kinds of threats to Michael, but she knew that Yellow Diamond wouldn't come to Earth herself.  
No, she'd just send one of her lackeys to do the job for her.

But that didn't mean the threats didn't bother her.

When she orderd him to kill Steven,She was ready to go up there and punch that screen through and through, but Michael beat her to the punch.

It seems he cares about Steven more than he does Homeworld, after all.  
But there was a problem.

While she was certain Michael meant no harm, that still leaves Peridot, Jasper, and perhaps Lapis too.  
What would they do? Peridot and Jasper seemed too loyal to Homeworld to want to stay on Earth, and the whole reason Lapis stole the ocean was to leave Earth and return to Homeworld.

But as that was now impossible for them, what would happen? They can't leave the planet, and they can't let them wander the Earth,  
because they're far too dangerous.

So if those three Gems couldn't leave Earth, than what were they going to do when they catch them?

Lapis cared enough for Steven to drag herself and Jasper to the bottom of the ocean, so that may be reason enough not to try and attack them again, but it was crystal clear that the first thing Jasper will do when she's unfused is attack.

She's obsessed with bringing Steven to Homeworld to be prosecuted for Rose's apparent crimes, but as she could ever return without being shattered, than what else was she going to do? Fighting seemed like her only option.

The same can be said for Peridot. She's made attempts on their lives many times, and a handful were almost succesful,  
so she was another obvious danger.

She saw a lot more problems with her future vision than just an angry fusion hidden somewhere in the ocean.  
Things were going to get ugly. And they needed a plan to stop it.

The fusion began walking back to the door to the temple, to tell Pearl and Amethyst about what had just occurred.  
And hopefully, it would ease their tensions with this newcomer.

They were stressed enough with the fact that a powerful fusion could re-emerge at any moment from the ocean.  
They didn't need more tensions building up from within their team.

Before she entered the temple, she took one last glance at Steven and Mike.  
They both looked like they were enjoying themselves. Steven looked like he was showing him his game console,  
while Mike looked legitimately interested.

Steven is Rose's son, and has been around for eleven years, yet Garnet was still surprised at how quick he is at making friends.  
It didn't matter if they had eight arms, four heads, and farted rainbows, Steven would want to be friends with them, and he wouldn't stop trying until they became friends with each other. A trait he inherited from his mother, no doubt.

She turned away from the two and walked in. Pearl and Amethyst were standing near the warp pad.

It looked like they were talking about something, but stopped when they saw Garnet enter.

"Garnet, we heard shouting out there. What happened? Is Steven alright?" Pearl asked.

"Yeah, do I need to start whipping?" Amethyst included, stretching her whip.

Garnet raised a hand up. "Put that away, Amethyst. Everything's fine. Steven's fine." She said.

"Aw..." Amethyst made her whip dissapear.

"Yellow Diamond contacted Michael." Garnet added. "They were the ones yelling."

"...WHAT!?" Pearl and Amethyst chorused.

"She was talking to him about how she wanted him to shatter Lapis when he finds her... and than Steven temporarily got involved."

"He got involved? You mean he SPOKE to Yellow Diamond?! Does she know about...?" Pearl trailed off.  
They all knew that if Homeworld knew Steven had Rose's Gem, they would send hundreds of soliders to Earth to eradicate him.

"She knows nothing about his Gem. She just thought he was a normal child."

"What did he say to her?" Amethyst interjected.

Garnet crossed her arms. "Well first, he interrupted the conversation after he heard mention of Lapis's shattering.  
Then he started talking back to her, and it made Yellow Diamond thrash out at both of them.

She was shouting about Michael talking with humans, mocked his defectiveness, and threatened to shatter him. And then... Yellow Diamond ordered him to kill Steven."

Pearl shook her head. "No... what did he do, after that..?"

"... He objected." Garnet responded.

"Objected? What do you mean, 'objected?'" Amethyst asked, rubbing her neck in discomfort.  
While Steven seemed to be all buddy-buddy with this new Gem for some reason, she wasn't exactly inclined to trust him so quickly.  
For all they knew, he could stab them in the back at any moment.

"He didn't do it. He told Yellow Diamond that he was perfectly fine with leaving Homeworld and staying on Earth.  
So basically, now he's staying on Earth, meaning that Peridot, Jasper and Lapis can't go back to Homeworld. So we have a problem.

And we need to discuss what we're going to do with them when we find them..."

A Few Hours Later, 9:00 PM...

"...And that's why I can never go near magnets." Mike said, concluding the story he was telling Steven.  
It was about an unfortunate incident when a magnet got stuck on his Gem when he visited Earth one time.  
Steven lay in front of him on his chest, kicking his feet slowly up and down. He had listened the whole time with interest. "That's kind of a funny story." He said, giggling.

Mike expressed a tiny smirk, looking down on his Gem.  
It was a little dusty after his encounter with that corrupted tarantula Gem, but it still sparkled quite brightly in the afternoon sun,  
and he could still see the very faint reddish streaks.

It was kind of a funny situation... well, not for his perspective, at least.  
It was the first mission he had to scout the Kindergarten there, but he decided to tour the human inhabited places out of curiousity.  
Long story short, he found a magnet, and when he held it close to his chest, it magnetically attached to his Gem,  
which caused him to glitch out until it was removed.

It was... weird. It was like as if he was a glitchy computer that was close to crashing.  
He felt no pain, but he couldn't control his movements, either. All he could do was squirm around on the ground until his friend and mentor, Tourmaline, took it off for him.  
It wasn't exactly an experience he wanted to relive again.

"Yeah... it was a good thing Tourmaline was there, or else I would have looked like an idiot to anyone passing by."

Steven rested his feet on the ground, and lifted his head up slightly, using his elbows for leverage.  
"Were you and Tourmaline good friends?" He asked. Mike seemed to light up when he talked about that Gem.  
His eyes would light up when he mentioned her name. Even in his tense conversation with the Crystal Gems, as he watched through the window,  
he could see a little glimmer in his eyes when he brought her up.

Mike brushed some hair out of his face, looking a bit somber. "Tourmaline... me and her... we were great friends.  
We knew each other a long time. When I was born, she was the one instructed to teach me things.  
She was about only 5000 years old when I was born, but she was a still a beautiful Gem wise beyond her years.

She taught be how to survive in life. Taught me how to fight, how to behave, and most importantly... she accepted me despite my...  
condition. In fact, she was fond of it. She said it made me unique, in a way. Different from other Hematites.  
She told me every day. "Hematite, don't think I don't care about you any less because of your mental and physical form.  
I want you to know you shouldn't be ashamed of it. You should embrace it. It's who you are. And nothing will change that..."

...She was the only friend I had on Homeworld. One of the only who didn't avoid me because of my skin tone and such.  
So... yeah, we were amazing friends. And I really hope I can see her again, someday..."

The Gem cleared his throat. "But... enough stories for now. I think we need to talk about Jasper, Peridot and Lapis, since I'm staying on Earth." His expression became more serious.

Steven crooked his head to the side. "Why? Weren't you...? Oh, yeah..." He cut himself short, the realization striking him like a soccer ball to the head.

" Lapis doesn't know me enough to probably care about me staying, but I think we both know that Peridot and especially Jasper are going to have a problem with it. Jasper is 100% loyal to Yellow Diamond, and when she finds out I've abandoned Homeworld,  
and she WILL find out, she's going shatter me like a window in a barfight. And that doubled with the fact that she already has a vendetta with you, Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst, than we have a problem. A BIG one."

"But... what about your ship? She can just go back home with it, right...?"

Mike shook his head. "No, Steven. That won't work for two reasons. For one, I'll bet the first thing she'll do when she's unfused is come after you. And she's a dangerous Gem, you know? You told me she had a pretty even fight with Garnet on that warship.  
And considering Garnet is a fusion, and Jasper isn't, that should tell you why she's a huge threat.

And even if she did go back to Homeworld, the first thing she would do is tell Yellow Diamond about you.  
And you have no idea how lucky you, not to mention all of Earth, are that she didn't inform her immediately.

...I don't want to worry you, Steven, but... if Yellow Diamond finds out about you, then.. it's over. For all of us."

"No it wouldn't!" Steven insisted. "We could fight back! We could stop them if we work together, we can beat them like Peridot and Jasper!"

"Steven, how many Gems were there on that ship that you beat?"

"...Two, why?"

"Yeah, and Homeworld literally has _thousands_ of soldiers at their disposal, and that amount grows _every_ day.  
If Yellow Diamond finds out about you, she'll send _hundreds_ of ships here to kill what remains of Rose Quartz and the Crystal Gems.  
Steven, it's good that you're confident, but using that kind of confidence against Homeworld is suicide.  
There's only a handful of Gems here, including me and you. We won't be able to take on Homeworld... not now, at least."

"So... if Jasper can't leave... then you're saying she should stay with us, too?"

"That's not what I'm saying, Steven. Look, I understand if you don't want to hurt Jasper.  
She's done terrible things to you, and you want to forgive her for it. But a Gem like you and a Gem like her just can't be friends.  
None of us can be friends with her. Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl are Crystal Gems, you're your mom's son, and I just betrayed Homeworld.

We're all traitors. And while that's a good thing in our eyes, in Jasper's we have to be destroyed.  
Trusting a Gem like her will only give you a knife in the back. She can't be trusted.

She would never betray Homeworld. Or Yellow Diamond. She's a ruthless, aggressive Gem.  
She assulted you, a child, and made you watch while she hit Garnet with a destabilizer, and for a fusion, that would be something horrifying to look at. She doesn't care about anything related to Rose Quartz or Earth.

I hate to tell you this, Steven, but... we only have one option in this situation. And I know you're not going to agree with it.  
If we want to keep you and Earth safe, then... Jasper has to go."

...Bubbled. That was the first thought that came to his mind.

"You wanna bubble her..." He said.

Mike unfortunately nodded in response. "It's the only thing we can do, Steven."

Steven scanned the Gem's face for any signs that he might be lying. He saw none.

"But... that's not the only thing we can do! We can convince her to stay, right? Like you! You wanted to stay on Earth,  
so why wouldn't Jasper want to?"

"Because, Steven. She isn't interested in anything Earth has to offer. She only sees this as a planet as a worthless piece of rock that houses an insignifigant species. She doesn't care about Earth, or humans, and especially not you.  
She's a Gem who would've tried with all her strength to shatter your mother if she was still around.

That was her goal during the war. Her passion. To shatter Rose Quartz. And judging from your encounter with you,  
that passion still burns brightly. Her hate for your mother is almost as great as Yellow Diamond's."

"But I can convince her that we're the good guys! If I can just show her that Earth is an innocent planet-

"Steven! Just... just stop, okay? You won't convince her. You can't convince her. The last Gem in the entire galaxy that Jasper would ever listen to is Rose Quartz. And that's who she thinks you are. Even if you convinced her that you're your own person,  
that wouldn't change her mind. All she wants to do, all she cares about... is breaking that."

He pointed down to Steven's belly, where his Gemstone resided.

Steven looked down to the ground thoughtfully for a moment.

"...What about Peridot? Are we going to bubble her, too?" He asked.

Mike seemed surprised by the question. He leaned back against Steven's bed, and put his hands together.

"Peridot... Peridot's... confused, Steven."

"Confused how?"

"She's confused about a lot of things... she barely knows anything about the war. All she was ever told was that Rose Quartz betrayed Homeworld to protect a worthless planet. She's not like Jasper, or Yellow Diamond, in a sense.

She was always just told to do her work. That's all she knows. To do work. To do what Homeworld asks.  
She doesn't know anything about Earth cultures. She knows about humans and animals and stuff like trees.

I don't think she even knows what to think of this place. Her whole life is just doing work, she pretty much never gets to think for herself. She just thinks what Homeworld wants her to think. But... now, she can't go back there.

In Yellow Diamond's eyes, she's failed too many times on what she thinks is simple missions.  
Re-activate the Kindergarten? She was stopped both times by you. Take a warship to Earth and eliminate a few nuisances that prevented the completion of her mission? You stopped her.

And now she's... considered a burden, I guess. If you fail too many times, at something Homeworld thinks is simple,  
then you're useless to them. Like Yellow Diamond said, she was going to be shattered.

So... she can't go back to Homeworld, either. She'll be crushed immediately. So she has to stay on Earth, too.  
But... I don't think she has to be bubbled, no. Maybe she could be rehibilitated. She doesn't really know what she's doing is wrong,  
while Jasper takes pride in doing awful things. So... it's my hope that she can maybe be convinced.

She's an innocent Gem, and despite what she's tried to do to you and your friends, she was just trying to protect herself."

Steven felt a little better after hearing that. He didn't want any Gems to be bubbled, but it was good to know that Mike had faith in one of them. He still however felt that Jasper didn't deserve to be bubbled though, either.

Steven felt like he needed to ask more questions, but before he could say anything, he heard the voice of Amethyst.  
They both turned their heads, and saw her standing at the top of the staircase.

"Steven, we're all going to the Kindergarten to look for Peridot again. Pearl thinks she might be hiding out there again for some reason."

"Oh, okay Amethyst!" Steven replied.

The purple Gem then turned her attention to Mike, with a distasteful expression on her face.

"You're coming too. No chance we're leavin' you here alone."

Mike returned the expression. "You got it, short stuff." He replied, mocking her height once more.

"Hey shut up, at least I... shut up!" Amethyst retorted, flustered, before stomping back down the stairs.

"Jeez, she's a piece of work, huh?" Mike said.

"I think she doesn't trust you yet." Steven replied. "Don't worry, she's actually not so bad when you get to know her.  
But I wouldn't make fun of her height. She gets mad about that stuff."

"Well, I hope she doesn't try to hit me, then. She'll probably need to stand on a stool or something."

 _ **...**_

 _ **See you in chapter 10! We take a trip back to the Kindergarten!**_

 _ **BTW, would you guys prefer shorter chapters? Would it make this easier to read? Tell me what you think!**_


	11. Chapter 10: Betrayed

_**Hey guys, here's the next chapter!**_

 _ **This may be a shorter chapter than usual, but you guys should like it! Enjoy!**_

 _ **...**_

Lapis Lazuli hated her life so much right now.

For what she assumed to be weeks, she had been pouring all of her mental and physical power into keeping Malachite - and by extension,  
her and Jasper, at the bottom of the ocean. And it was hell.

Day and night, she couldn't rest for even a second. She had to constantly keep Jasper subdued.  
She couldn't let her take control. If she did, it would be the end of her, and it would be the end of Steven.

...It was ironic. She did this not just to save Steven, but also because she was tired of being a prisoner.  
In the mirror, on Homeworld... but all she did was just put herself in another prison.

And she wasn't sure she would ever be free from it.

She heard her voice again.  
"I... am going to KILL you... for this... you traitor...!" Jasper grunted.  
Lapis couldn't see her, but that didn't mean she couldn't hear her. Her insults, her threats, she had to listen to them every day.

She's been talking ever since they fused. Trying to break her spirit... trying to take control.

"You tricked me... you HELPED Rose Quartz! We had her! Don't you realize that!? She finally would've paid for her crimes,  
and you betrayed me! Do you have... ANY idea what you did!?"

"Shut up. I wasn't going to let you do anything else to him, you.. monster! He's a child, and you attacked him! You nearly... killed him!"

She was met with a cruel laugh in response. "You're a fool, Lapis. The only thing you're doing is delaying the inevitable."

"Stop talking like you still have authority over me! I have you imprisoned!"

"For now. Eventually, I'll break free from this... and when I do, I'm going to crush you like the worthless piece of trash that you are!  
But first... I'll make you watch while I crush Rose... or as you call him, Steven."

"Shut up..." Lapis said, trying to focus on holding the chains up.

"I'll do it slowly. I'll break every bone in that puny little body... stomp out every last bit of life.. and when I'm finished...  
there will be nothing but dust left! And you're going to have to watch when I do it..."

"That's NOT going to happen! I'm going to keep you - keep us - down here forever. I'll never so much as let you touch him again!"

"Even if you can keep me down here, which I can assure you, it WON'T, I know that Yellow Diamond will send someone here.  
And they'll be happy to drag us out of the ocean and shatter you like glass. There isn't a single Gem on Homeworld that would side with you."

Mike looked at the dark, barely visible reflection of him in his blade. He still had the cuts from when he scratched himself before.  
He could've done something about it by now, but quite frankly, he was in no mood, and didn't care.

He was too concerned with what the Crystal Gems were going to do with Peridot when they found her.  
He asked Garnet about it when they entered the Kindergarten. It seemed like she made all the decisions in their relatively small group.

But when he did ask her, all she said was "We'll do what's neccessary."  
He didn't like vague answers. Vague usually never means good. It usually meant something bad.

And if they had ulterior motives, perhaps the desire to break her Gem for what she's done, he wouldn't know what to do.  
He wouldn't just watch as three complete strangers shatter someone he knew well.

He and Peridot are not close. Not in the slightest. But it was nice to actually have someone to talk to sometimes, instead of just being alone all day with nothing but his work.

Peridot was the only one to ever be assigned to work with him in his time on Homeworld.  
Most Gems didn't want to work with a defect, but Peridot was indifferent as long as he worked sufficiently.

She was pretty much the only Gem he ever talked to ever since... no. No, he didn't want to think about it.

The fact of the matter is, if they wanted to break, shatter, or bubble her, he wouldn't be the one enforcing it.  
He would be the one preventing it.

...He was alone right now. Everyone split in different directions in an effort to search the Kindergarten faster.  
It was eerily quiet. The atmosphere of a deactivated Kindergarten was... ominous, to say the least.

No signs of life, yet you still expected something to jump out at any moment.

And it really made it think about himself as a Gem.  
The reason for his defectiveness was because he was made here.

That defectiveness did a lot to mess up his life. He never raised up in ranks because he was listed as an "unstable Gem", due to his... darker side. And his skin color constantly reminded all Homeworld Gems, including Yellow Diamond, of the worthless creatures that robbed them of one of their most valuable Gems, just because she felt like saving them.

But as he always felt uneasy about Homeworld after finding out what they did.. especially the cluster.. there was a tiny, tiny shred of relief.  
Just think, if he was born on Mars or any suitable planets like all other Hematites, he probably would've ended up just like... them.

He closely examined his blade. It's normal shine was practically non-existent in the dull light of this place.

He lowered it. He heard something.

The Gem glanced around, but he saw nothing. Just a desolate canyon.

He would've brushed it off, but he suddenly heard it again. He listened closely.

A footstep.

Another one. Coming from directly behind him.

The realization came to him one moment too late, as he suddenly felt a prod at his back. Two sharp points.

A Gem Destabilizer.

"Don't call out for them." He heard a very familiar voice say.

"...Peridot? What are you doing?" Mike asked in confusion.

"Why are you helping them look for me, Hematite?" The green Gem asked, pushing the weapon further into his back. "Do you have any idea what they will do to me?!"

Mike didn't know what to say right now. Peridot was holding a Gem Destabilizer to his back. Any wrong words wouldn't be good for him in this situation.

"Do you know what those Gems, and that Steven, have done to me?! They prevented me from activating the Kindergarten twice,  
then destroyed my stuff, then stranded me on this miserable planet, and THEN took one of my feet!  
And now here you are, trying to help them find me?! Are you crazy?!"

Mike turned his head as far as he could to face the Gem.

She looked worn down, bearing several scratches and burns around her body, and where her foot used to be, there was instead a green bucket that children use for collecting sand.

"Peridot. You need to listen to me. I'm not trying to help them shatter or bubble you. They were trying to help me find you. I want to help you!"

"By siding with the Gems that caused all of this to happen?! Hematite, do you realize who they are? Do you realize what they are?  
They're Crystal Gems, and that Steven with them has the Gem of Rose Quartz! If Yellow Diamond were to find out about this,  
do you have any idea what could happen?! She'll break you for working with them!"

Mike stared at her for a minute. That's when he remembered.

She didn't know yet. She didn't know that Yellow Diamond already wanted to shatter the two.  
Him for treachery, and her for constant failure.

"Sigh... Peridot... listen to me. Yellow Diamond, she... already wants to shatter me."

Peridot's expression turned to confusion for a moment, but then turned to annoyance.

"Of course. Diamond forbid you could've at least tried to keep quiet about it."

She lowered the destabilizer. "You can turn around now."

Mike did so, and turned to face the green Gem.

"You are seriously making me want to stab you with this right now. I contact Yellow Diamond for help, and she can't even send a Gem that's loyal enough to find me before he starts helping the enemy side!?" She said in frustration.

"What did they do that would make you join them?! Bribery? Mind control?! You're underestimating the mistake you're making right now Hematite! Give me one good reason not to bubble you myself and bring you back to Homeworld to be prosecuted!"

"...Because, I-

"PERIDOT!" An angry voiced boomed through the canyon, scaring the living hell out of Mike and Peridot. They both recognized the voice.

Garnet.

Peridot whipped around, and her blood turned to ice as she saw the three Crystal Gems, as well as Steven.  
Aside from Steven, they all had their weapons out, ready to strike.

"Peridot, drop that weapon and surrender! There's nowhere to run anymore!" Pearl exclaimed whilst brandishing her spear.

"You... you Crystal _Clods!_ Can't you just stop following me!?" She replied in frustration.

"You heard Pearl. Get rid of that destabilizer and give up, unless you wanna lose another body part. We'd be happy to oblidge!" Amethyst said, stretching her whip.

Peridot let out a growl. She was outnumbered five-to-one. This wouldn't be good.  
Then again, all she has to do is touch them with the destabilizer to make them retreat to their Gems. If Jasper could do it, then so could she.

 _"NOBODY FIGHT!"_

Every Gem was surprised when Mike got involved.

He moved in front of Peridot.

"Guys, there doesn't have to be any fighting! No one needs to get hurt! Just put your weapons away!"

Garnet took a step forward. "Get out of our way, Michael." She said in anger. "You know what she's done to us, so you should know that she's dangerous.

 _Step aside."_

No! Don't you understand, Garnet?! It was just... she didn't... _gah, I don't know_! She was just doing what Homeworld made her do!"

"No, I don't think _you_ understand, Michael! She was perfectly fine with trying to kill us all every time we encountered her,  
and had no remorse for being involved in those _horrific_ Gem fusion experiments! Get out of our way, before we _MAKE_ you."

"Michael." Pearl said. "We understand if you don't want Peridot to get bubbled or broken. You may be acquaintances, or know each other well, but you also need to understand that she's a danger to us, and she's a danger to this planet. If we were to let her leave, how do we know she won't come back with more Gems? She could bring _hundreds_ of them to Earth, and _nobody_ would stand a chance!

We barely know you, but we don't need or want to have to fight you too. You need to do the right thing here, and move out of our way.  
There's nothing you can do."

Mike stood there, conflicted. He couldn't let them do this to Peridot. Whether it was to break her, bubble her, or outright shatter her beyond repair, he wasn't going to let any of it happen.

...But he couldn't go against the Crystal Gems, either. Fighting them would solve nothing. It would only get both of them bubbled or killed.  
But they weren't listening to reason, either. Peridot's actions have all but convinced them that she was unredeemable.  
They weren't believing him now, and they probably weren't going to believe him if he kept talking.

He probably just came off as being in denial. Denial of Peridot's actions defining her personality.  
He doesn't know exactly everything about what happened when she first came to Earth, but he knew, he _knew_ that she was just trying to follow orders. She had to be. She's never displayed any sort of pride or desire in killing Gems.

This had to just be because she was confused. It had to be. There wasn't any other explanation. There _couldn't_ be any other explanation.

"Garnet.. Pearl.. Amethyst.. you have to believe me... she's not- URK!"

The Gem was cut off as he felt a sharp pain in his back. Everyone gasped in utter shock.

Peridot had stabbed him in the back.

Without saying a word, she activated the weapon, and it sparked to life, instantly electrocuting Mike's entire body.

 _ **"AAAAAAAHHH!"**_  
He let out a huge scream of pain from the sudden shock.

The scream was suddenly cut off when the destabilizer deactivated.

He fell to his knees.  
For only a brief moment, he sat there. He sat there with a look of utter horror on his face. Horror. Surprise. Betrayal.

And then he collapsed to the ground completely, and then he exploded in a puff of smoke.

And when it cleared, all that remained was his Gem.

 _ **...**_

 _ **Well, that didn't turn out as good as he expected, did it? But hey, at least Peridot's finally involved in the story, right?**_  
 _ **See you in the next chapter!**_


	12. Chapter 11: Two Sides, One Coin

**OK, I've decided. Tinydot isn't canon. Instead, Peridot will only be a little bit smaller without her "limb enhancers." We won't show that yet, though.**

 **;)**

 **...**

Mike awoke with a start.

The Gem looked down to his body. It looked like he had reformed.  
No part of him changed, however. He looked exactly the same.  
He wasn't concerned about his looks, though.

He looked around. It was strange... it looked like he was back in Steven's house... in Steven's bed... but... wasn't he just in the Kindergarten...?  
But then it came back to him. Peridot. She destabilized him when his back was turned.

He looked out the window. It was now daytime.

The Gem got out of the bed and walked down the stairs to the ground floor of the house.  
He didn't see any signs of the Crystal Gems, nor any signs of Steven.

At first glance, it appeared the house was empty. No Gems, no Steven...

He took a glance at the entrance to the temple.  
Maybe they had all gone there? Talking about something? Waiting for him to reform?... Bubbling someone?

However, the thought of entering the temple never came to be as he heard a sudden crash come from nearby.  
Mike's head snapped in the direction of the noise. It had come from the nearby room.

He didn't know what room it was, as he had yet to be introduced to it. But he decided to investigate as Steven or one of the Gems could possibly be in there to give him answers.

He approached the door and placed an ear to it. He could hear agitated mumbling coming from the other side.  
The Gem knocked on the door a few times.

"Go away." A voice finally replied.

"...Peridot?" Mike asked.

There was a little more silence before she spoke again.

"...Hematite." She replied in a distasteful tone.

Mike felt a wave of relief at hearing the voice. Maybe the Crystal Gems changed their minds after hearing his plea?

"What are you doing in there?"

"Staying away from the clods and their Steven."

"Oh... can I come in?"

"No."

"...Please?"

"No."

"...I have your missing foot." He offered, removing the metallic foot from his hoodie. "You want it?"

More silence. Perhaps she was thinking about it.

Then footsteps as she approached the door. There was a *click* when she unlocked it.  
She opened it ever so slightly, and peeked her head out.

She looked at Mike. Then to her foot. Then Mike again. And back to her foot before she quickly snatched it and slammed the door shut.

"You can come in." She stated.

Mike obliged, and entered the room.

He was ever so dumbfounded when he entered. There was a lot of odd mechanisms and objects littering the place. Nothing he recognized.  
He didn't really care about that, though. His concern right now was Peridot.

He watched the Homeworld Gem reattach her prosthetic foot to her leg. She tapped it on the ground a few times to make sure it was properly attached. It was.

She gave out a light huff and hugged her legs. It didn't look like she wanted to talk.

Mike walked over to the green Gem and sat next to her. When he did, Peridot scooted away a little.

He looked her over. She was definitely a lot more beat up than the last time he saw her.  
Her prosthetics were dented and scratched all over, and the right one was cracked and emmiting sparks to the point it seemed surprising it was even still working at all, and her face was scratched and bruised in several spots.

"Are you okay?" He asked, reaching a hand out, which was promptly slapped away.

"Don't touch me."

"Peridot, you don't have to be like that, I'm just trying to help you. Like I was trying to do in the Kindergarten, before you destabilized me?"

"Pfft. You weren't exactly helping my situation when you told me you're working with those Gems. I was told what they are when I returned to Homeworld before. How they started the Gem war? How they betrayed Homeworld? Why would you possibly want to side with them? It's like you're asking for Yellow Diamond to crush you!"

"Peridot, with the position I was in, I had no choice. I probably would've returned to Homeworld, but Yellow Diamond caught me with Steven, and at that point I had no other choice but to remain here."

That wasn't exactly the truth. After meeting Steven and reminding him of his liking for Earth, he had already decided to stay there.  
But he didn't want to tell Peridot that. She seemed agitated enough already. He didn't want to tell her he would've instantly turned on Homeworld. She needed someone to trust, after all.

"...Well, that's your fault for wanting to help them in the first place. You're lucky they didn't just bubble you straight away.  
Heck, I'M lucky they didn't bubble me straight away! The only reason I'm not bubbled right now is because I told them I'm the only one who knows what that cluster in the Kindergarten is capable of!"

"...The cluster?" Mike questioned curiously. "What do you know about the cluster? I thought your mission was to reactivate the Kindergarten?"

"I was also sent to check on the cluster, and see if it was developing properly. And I know enough to know that it's basically a doomsday clock ticking down and that I don't want to be anywhere near this planet when it goes off." She replied.

Mike rubbed his head in mild annoyance. He should've figured Homeworld would have a failsafe in case they couldn't reactivate the Kindergarten. But... the cluster? He's seen reports on it, but nothing about it seemed dangerous. In fact, most of them were just sets of hands. What could possibly be dangerous about them?

"Point being, I'm only here right now because I offered them knowledge. If it wasn't for that, I'd probably be bubbled and stuck lord knows where in this place. Even then, who knows if they won't just bubble me after I tell them?  
...So I'm staying in here until I know they won't double-cross me. I just want off of this planet... but I guess I can't now, can't I?"

Mike chose to remain silent, and looked down to the ground.

"Thought so. I knew it, I knew I had run out of chances after failing so many times. Yellow Diamond's probably waiting for me right now back on Homeworld so she can shatter me as soon as I return, isn't she?"

Mike stayed silent, whilst giving a slow nod.

Peridot didn't say anything in response. The Gem just gave a hard punch to the wall next to her, which cracked her prosthetic arm even further.

"Grr... darn it.." She grumbled, holding her broken limb with her fingers.

Mike looked on, pitying the Gem. "You're gonna want to be careful if you don't want to break that completely, you know."

Peridot looked at Mike. He was a confusing Gem, to be sure. He always had this weird facsination with helping people.  
It seemed that no matter how much someone rejected help, he would always try to help regardless. Even if it was someone he didn't even know or like. It was odd.  
But then again, he never really had been all there. Sure, he was kind, but get him angry and you'd better hope you're the more powerful Gem. Because he will beat anyone to a bloody pulp if they make him angry enough.  
Yet... he's always the first one to offer to watch over them while they regenerate. His emotions seemed to work in an odd way.  
She had been told that it may be some sort of split personality or something.

Peridot lowered the broken limb to her side. "Not that it matters anyway... I'm going to die on this planet once the cluster emerges." She said dully.

"Peridot, you're treating the cluster like some doomsday device. Why are you so worried about it?" Mike asked.

Peridot looked up at his face for the first time in the conversation.  
For some reason, she looked at him very strangely for a second. Almost as if she was... observing something..

But she quickly brushed it off and replied to the Gem's question. "I'm worried Hematite - because that thing is powerful enough to shatter me, you, or anything that gets in it's way! Sure, the ones that have emerged recently are nothing more but a bunch of hands and feet,  
but when THE cluster emerges, we are all doomed because there's nothing that can stop it!"

Mike shook his head. "Come on Peridot, I think you're overestimating this. There's plenty of Gems here to take care of whatever it is.  
Me, The Crystal Gems, Steven, you, that makes six Gems. If you want help with the cluster, all you have to do is ask."

"Yeah, but what then? If those insufferable rocks don't bubble me afterwards, I'll have to live the rest of my life on this miserable planet!  
What's the point?!"

Mike tried to place a hand on Peridot's shoulder, but she quickly pulled away from it.

"Peridot... you don't have to be scared of the Crystal Gems. The only reason they've been hunting you is because you've been trying to harm them and Earth every time you've came here. Maybe if you just give Earth a chance, you might like it here, y'know?  
Heck, maybe you could even make friends with the Gems. I know Steven's really interested in being friends with you.  
I know you probably hate them right now, but they're not bad Gems. You just need to get to know them." He said.

"You just don't get it, do you Hematite? I don't WANT to know them! I WANT to leave this place and go back to Homeworld!  
But I CAN'T now, because they made me fail ALL of my missions! It's because of THEM that I can't ever go back to Homeworld!  
I can't go home ever again because of THEM! Why would I ever want to be friends with them?!" Peridot snapped back.

"...Because, they're just trying to protect their home, which YOU were threatening! Wouldn't you want to protect Homeworld if some Gems came and tried to harm it multiple times, and then tried to kill or capture you just for trying to protect it? Peridot, you don't have to hate them for protecting their home! You'd do the same th-

He was cut off when he recieved the hard slap to the face from Peridot.

"Shut up. You have literally NO idea what they've done to me! They stopped me from completing all of my missions, they break literally ALL of my things, they take my foot, and they never leave me alone! Can't you get that through your thick skull!?" She shouted.

"...You know what you need to get through your skull?" Mike replied, holding his cheek where Peridot slapped him.

He grabbed the Gem's throat, and smashed the back of her head into the wall.

Peridot looked at him with surprise. She just made him angry...

"How you... shouldn't... make me... ANGRY."

Peridot looked at him shocked. She didn't realize a simple slap would have set him off so easily.

Mike got up off the floor, and took Peridot with him. He looked into her eyes with nothing but pure anger.  
His face was terrifying. He didn't look angry, per se, but his teeth were clentched and his eyes were wide open.

"Hematite... s-stop!" Peridot choked out.  
She wasn't being suffocated, as she didn't need to breathe, but his iron grip around her throat made it hard to speak.  
The green Gem struggled in the stronger Gem's grip, trying to break free to no avail.

Mike tightened his grip on Peridot's throat. "Making me come to this planet to save you... stabbing me in the back with a destabilizer... slapping me in the face...!?"

He hoisted Peridot high in the air and threw her across the room, smashing into the opposite wall.

Peridot raised a hand up in front of her. "Hematite... you need- you need to calm down, okay?! Just-

Hematite interrupted her by grabbing all five fingers of the hand she raised.  
She looked nervously at her hand, before Mike tore all five fingers from the hand and tossed them to the opposite side of the room.

While Peridot stared at her dismembered fake hand in shock, Mike took the opening to deliver a hard kick to the gut.  
She grunted in pain and grabbed her aching gut with her other hand.

Mike grabbed her by the throat again, this time with both hands.

"Don't tell me to calm down... I have EVERY reason to be doing this right now. You. Had. This. Coming!"

He punched Peridot in the face, cracking her visor. He looked her over.

"You know... I could kill you right now. It's not like anyone would miss you or anything... except for maybe Steven. But he's just some stupid kid. He's too stupid to even realize just how dangerous Homeworld can be. That whole 'Oh I wanna help you because I think you're nice' attitude is gonna end one day with him getting a knife to the back."

He squeezed Peridot's throat.

"Maybe sooner than we think... point being, the only one who actually cares about your beaten carcass is some clueless moron.  
Those 'Crystal Gems' certaintly won't miss you. Hell, if you didn't offer them knowledge about that Gem mutant, they would've finished you off themselves. I would love nothing more than to shatter your Gem like a cracked window right now... but,  
if I did do that now, I would get in A LOT of trouble for that. Seemingly killing someone with knowledge of something like the cluster for no reason? Yeah, they'd be REALLY angry about that. So, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'll not break you... not yet, anyway. And I'm going to leave this room. And if you tell anyone in this house about me... you're gonna die.  
How's that sound, muffin top?" He said, mocking the Homeworld Gem.

He released his grip on her throat, and flicked her on the nose.

"Ah, of course you agree with me. You'd be... insane not to." Mike said, rising to his feet.  
He walked over to the bathroom door and opened it.

"And Peridot?" He stared straight ahead of him. "You may of already guessed, but... you haven't been talking to who you think you have this whole time."

He left the room before Peridot could say anything.

Hematite walked back into the living room of the house. The nerve of that Gem... slapping him for no reason... ungrateful rock.

Everything about Homeworld made him want to puke. Their attitude, their obession with trying to be dominant... He was glad how Mike had finally decided to stand up to Yellow Diamond... shame he needed an 11-year old with him to do it.  
But at least he didn't have to tolerate that hell-hole of a Homeworld anymore.

...But on the other hand, now he had to tolerate the company of a bunch of Crystal Gems, Peridot, and soon- Malachite and the cluster.  
He wanted to leave. He wanted to abandon everyone here, go somewhere isolated from society... really anywhere but here.  
But Mike wouldn't let him. He likes these Gems. He wants to stay with them. And since they both inhabit a body that he controls most of the time, he didn't have a say in the matter... oh well. Not the first time his life has been completely ruined.

"...Mike?" A voice spoke out.  
Hematite looked over at the couch, and was slightly annoyed when he saw that Steven was on the couch looking at him.

The boy hopped off the couch and ran to him and hugged his legs.

Hematite didn't return the gesture. Instead, he held his hands away from Steven in disgust, not wanting to touch him.

"I was really worried about you... y'know, after Peridot zapped you?" He said.

Hematite rolled his eyes at the kindness. "Stop squeezing my legs Steven, before you cut off my circulation and paralyze me for life." He stated flatly.

Steven obeyed and let go of the Gem's legs. "Sorry. I was just worried. You're okay though, right? You look... kinda mad."

Hematite raised an eyebrow. "And why do you think I look mad?"

"Well for one your voice sounds a lot angrier, your eyes are all dark and baggy, and one of them is red."

"One of my eyes... you mean both of my eyes are red."

Steven shook his head. "Nuh-uh, only one's red. Is it pink eye or something?"

"Pink eye- w..." Hematite's voice trailed off as his gaze turned to the nearby window. In his reflection, he saw it.  
The boy was right. His left eye was indeed red. It was normal for when he took control. However, what he didn't expect,  
was that his right eye... was oddly still hazel green. The color that's present when Mike is in control...

"...The f*ck?!" Hematite swore, walking over to the window. He observed the green eye.

C'mon, you little bastard, turn red! It's my turn to be in control!" He said, vigorisly rubbing it.

"Uh... what?"

Hematite flipped back to Steven. "...Did you hear that?"

Steven nodded. "Yeah."

"...No you didn't." Hematite shook his head.

"Uh, yeah I did?"

"No you didn't. You heard that wrong. I said... the opposite."

Steven crooked his head a little. Was this... some sort of prank, he wondered?

"The opposite...? So you meant... Mike, that doesn't make any sense. Are you sure you're okay?"

Hematite rubbed his aching forehead. "Ugh..."

He looked at Steven.

"Uh.. Steven?" He looked around the room. "Wait... when did I come back in here...?"

"Mike? You're acting really weird... what's going on with you?" Steven asked. "Something's wrong with you."

"Something's wrong with... wait... Steven... were you just talking to me? How was I acting? I didn't hurt anyone, did I?!" Mike asked concerningly.

"Hurt anyone? No, why would you do that? You were just talking all angry, but now you're normal again!" Steven replied.

Mike scratched his head. "...I guess I haven't gotten around to telling you yet, have I? Uh, I was hoping I wouldn't have to...  
look Steven, I... I have a little problem... up here." He pointed to his head. "See... I have this thing that humans might call...  
dissociative identity disorder. Do you know what that means?"

"No. Wait, yeah. Wait, no. Yeah, no." Steven replied.

"It means that I have more than one personality in my head. Like... there's another Gem in my mind. And he's a really bad Gem.  
We call him Hematite to differentiate him from me. But he's dangerous. He comes out when I get really mad at someone, and when he does... he hurts people. Bad. Like... if you somehow got me angry, then he'd - _Tear your throat out and strangle you with your own intestines!"_

He covered his mouth after his outburst.

"Um... he doesn't usually interrupt me mid-sentence... but anyways, yeah, he gets really violent and hurts anything near him.  
People, Gems... he doesn't care about anything. He'll either kill anything he can, or try and beat them into submission...  
So if I was just being mean to you, then I want you to know it wasn't me talking. It was Hematite.  
I wouldn't do or say anything to hurt you... _YET."_

He slapped himself across the face. "Grr, stop talking...! _How bout' you stop talking...?!_ How about you...?! _How bout' you...!?"_

He clutched his head. "Aaah! Shut up!"

Steven watched on, very unnerved. He was so confused right now. Here he was, watching his new friend apparently switch personalities back and forth... just what was happening?

"I don't get this..! Why is he getting control so easily all of a sudden?! He's never taken control unless I'm angry! How can he..."

He looked at his reflection. He slowly lowered his hands to his sides. He saw it. His eyes... one hazel... one red...

"Wha...? My eye..."

"Mike... can you please tell me what's happening right now? I'm really confused!"

Mike shook his head slowly. "I... I don't know, Steven... my eye... shouldn't be like that... he shouldn't be... taking control so frequently...  
unless..."

"Unless what?" Steven asked, still confused out of his mind.

"...Peridot. She destabilized me... she shouldn't have done that... you can't destabilize...defective Gems... it... it messes them up...  
it breaks them..."

"What... what are you saying...?"

Mike turned back to the child. "What am I saying...? Heheheh... I'm saying... _I'm going to have A LOT more control now..."_

 **...**

 **Ooh, shit just got real! What's gonna happen next? Also, remember Hematite? Hasn't showed up for a LONG while.**  
 **But it looks like he's going to have a bit more time in the spotlight, it seems...**


	13. Chapter 12: Healing

Steven took a step back at the now threatening tone of Mike's voice.  
Mike rose up off the ground, his eyes stuck on the child.

"Sorry for that interruption, Steven. Maybe you and I can finally have a decent conversation."

Steven didn't reply.

"...I assume you're confused. I guess I should just come out with it. There shouldn't be any secrets between... good friends, should there?  
You see, what ol' Mike said - about having another personality, is true. This Hematite he's been mentioning, the one that's really violent?  
Well... that's me. I'm Hematite. Now, I know what you're thinking... why are you acting so calm right now? I thought you were violent?

Well I am violent. VERY violent. In fact, in any normal situation, I'd probably be beating you to a pulp right about now.  
...But lucky for you, I'm in a pretty good mood right now. See, for as long as I can remember, I've only been able to take control when Mike gets REALLY angry. It leaves him vulnerable, and lets me take over."

The Gem looked at the palms of his hands.

"And while Homeworld stressed him enough to where he could get angry after one little push, I still never got to be in control for very long. It didn't help with his annoying-as-all-hell friend Tourmaline always being there to keep him happy... makes me sick."

He clentched his fists. "But now... now that Peridot did what she does best and not use her brain, I suddenly have very little trouble taking control now. It's definitely... a welcome change. Well, welcome to me. Mike? He hates this right now."

Hematite lowered his hands and looked down on Steven. "I can feel it, you know. We share a mind. I know what he thinks, I know what he feels, and right now, he's feeling pretty scared right now... you wanna know why?"

"...W...Why?" Steven hesitantly asked. He already felt weary of Hematite. His voice. His words... the possibility he might do something dangerous... it was unsettling.

"Because he's worried I'm going to hurt somebody. Somebody he cares about. Somebody like... you, Steven."

Hematite took a step towards the the boy. "He's scared I'm gonna hurt his little buddy. Scared I'm gonna hurt little Steven...  
But you know what? After observing you the last couple of days, and seeing how you were completely defenseless against that corrupted Gem monster, I've realized something... you're not worth the energy to hate, you know that?"

Steven kept silent. Was that... a good thing?

"You're saying that you're the offspring of Rose Quartz. But what have you got to show for it? NOTHING, that's what.  
Rose Quartz was one of the best warriors Homeworld had to offer. She had strength you couldn't even imagine.  
I never met her, but I've heard all the stories of her power. How she did what no other Gem succeeded in:  
Went to war with Homeworld and won. She stood against Homeworld and lived to tell the tale..."

His expression suddenly turned cold.

 _"...Only to kill herself creating a cheap imitation like you."_

"Hey! Don't say stuff like that! I'm not an imitation of my mom, I'm her son! She made me because she wanted to give life to something she knew would be great one day!"

Hematite gave a harsh laugh. "Great? You? Well, I bet she's regretting that decision right now in hell, huh?"  
At this point his voice was so deep it was scary.

But Steven didn't care.

"STOP IT!" Steven shouted in defense of his mother. How could Hematite say something so horrible? What kind of Gem is he? He wondered angrily.

"Aw, what's the matter, is the little failure of a son mad that I made fun of his dead mommy? You gonna cry, failure?  
You gonna cry over your dead mommy?" Hematite cruely mocked, giving Steven a light shove.

He was immediately rewarded by a hard shove by Steven.  
The Gem stumbled backwards and hit his head on the nearby window, cracking it.

"Don't make fun of my mom, you JERK!" Steven yelled at the top of his lungs. "My mom was a great Gem! She saved Earth from being destroyed and then gave up everything she was to make me! So don't say she went... down there! She doesn't belong down there!  
You... YOU DO!"

Steven didn't like yelling. And he didn't like what he said even more. Hematite was being completely cruel, but he hated how he said he belongs... down there. It felt... wrong to say. It felt dirty. But at the same time... he felt like Hematite deserved to hear that.  
Steven had never heard such a heinous insult in his entire life. Calling him a copy of Rose... and then implying she went to hell?

Not even Jasper said something as horrible as that.

As Hematite placed a hand on the back of his head and grimaced in pain, Steven cautiously approached him.

"Uh... Hematite? Are you oka-

Steven's voice was silenced when Hematite's hand wrapped around his throat in a death-grip.  
Hematite lifted the boy off the ground with no effort and slammed him into the wall.

Steven looked at Hematite's face in shock. Gone was the smug, uncaring stare, and in it's place... was the intention to kill.  
He tightened his grip on Steven's throat.

The small Gem tried desperately to pry his fingers off of him to no avail. The iron grip was quickly squeezing the life out of him.  
He tried kicking his feet and pounding on Hematite's hands to break free. It didn't work either.

"Guh...! Hem...atite... s-stop...!" He choked out, getting weaker and weaker by the second.  
Hematite didn't release or even loosen his grip. He simply kept strangling the child with an emotionless look written in his face

Steven had quickly been rendered unable to keep up his struggling, and his punches were reduced to light slaps.  
He was dying. He was dying and all he could do was let it happen. The Crystal Gems weren't here to save him, and Peridot definitely wouldn't save him.

Black spots formed in his vision, slowly fading his eyesight. And just when he thought his life was going to end and he'd leave this world...

He was let go. He could feel the grip release from his throat and he felt himself hit the hard wooden floor.  
He immediately sucked in several huge breaths as he held his throat with one hand, using the other to push himself up off the ground.

His breathing became quick and rapid, and his throat was bruised and hurt a lot. But he was alive.  
Hematite let him go. He must have come to his senses or something, maybe?

Steven looked up to Hematite in fear of what he might do next.  
...But the fear in his eyes didn't compare to the fear that was in Hematite's eyes. He looked horrified.  
His hands were both dug into his head as he gazed down at Steven, horrified.

"Oh my god... Steven!" Came the frightened voice from him. The dark, deep voice was gone. His voice sounded normal again.  
It wasn't Hematite.

"*COUGH!* M...M-Mike...?" Steven managed to say.

The Gem dropped down to his knees and held both of Steven's arms. "Steven, I'm SO sorry! How much did he hurt you?! Are you okay?! Please tell me you're okay!" He skeptically questioned the child.

"I'm... gasp.. I'm okay, Mike." Steven replied, having finally caught his breath.

Mike dismissed the assurance and inspected Steven. He quickly found the bruise marks on his neck.  
It took a moment to come to him, but soon he realized what it meant.

"Oh my g... he... he tried to strangle you...? He tried to KILL you...?" Mike placed a tender hand on the marks, his voice lined with concern.

Despite the soft touch, it still made Steven's neck hurt and he flinched.

Mike pulled his hand away. "Steven... I just... I didn't mean to...

"No Mike, it's really alright! My neck just hurts a little, that's all! Just a little bruised."

The Gem shook his head in denial. "No Steven, it's not alright! Hematite could have killed you... I could have killed you!"

Mike ran a hand through his messy hair. He couldn't believe himself right now. He almost strangled Steven to death...  
He literally almost killed Steven.. he could've been dead right now...

Steven raised his hands up. "No, no, no, Mike it's not your fault, really! I made him do it! I just... he insulted me and my mom and I couldn't take it anymore, and... I shoved him into a window and I think he cut himself or something! So please don't blame yourself for this!"

Mike placed a hand on the back of his head. "That... explains the headache, I guess... but still, he could have made me kill you.  
You're sure you're okay?" He asked.

Steven nodded. "Sure I'm sure. It's just a few bruises, really."  
They still hurt quite a bit, but it didn't bother him much.

Mike breathed out a sigh of relief. "Good... good. Just... as long as you're okay..." He said.

There was a brief silence between the two Gems. They both quietly looked at the ground.  
Neither of them really knew what to say.  
Steven's life could have ended, and Mike would've been the one to end it...

"Man, I should have known this would happen sooner or later. I didn't think something like this would happen." Mike scratched the side of his head in irritation. First Hematite killed that human that tried to assault him, and now he tried to kill Steven? He gets shoved by a child so he strangles him? Did he have no limit.

"Mike, I don't understand." Steven said. "Why is this happening to you?"

Mike sighed. "Because Peridot used a Gem destabilizer on me. A defect. You can't just do that to defects, Steven.  
They're already glitched for being improperly harvested. Destabilizing one only glitches them further.. I've seen it in reports.  
Sometimes it messes up their minds permanately, sometimes it messes up their bodies permanately, and sometimes they can never even regenerate. I got lucky in that regard, but this isn't exactly perfect either."

Steven gazed sympathetically at the Gem. "So... your broken?"

"I've always been broken, Steven. I'm a defect. This just broke me even further. I mean... my mind and body feel fine, but... I don't know.  
It's suddenly feels a lot harder to keep control from Hematite. Maybe being destabilized made me more mentally vulnerable?  
I don't know. It's not that my mind feels weaker, but... it feels like his is stronger... does that make any sense?"

"...I guess so." Steven replied, shrugging his shoulders.

Mike looked back at Steven. "Look, Steven.. I feel really bad about this. Is there... anything I can do to - you know, make you feel better? Like... help you with your neck?"

Steven rubbed his neck. It still hurt. "Well... it hurts still. Why?"

He was a little surprised when Mike replied by placing both his hands on his neck.  
He had a look of concentration on his face. Like he was trying to do something.

...The pain faded.

Mike removed his hands from Steven's neck.

Steven touched his neck with his own hand. It didn't hurt anymore... The bruises were gone.

"How...?" Was all Steven said.

Mike shrugged. "Hey, Rose Quartz Gems aren't the only ones who can heal, you know."

"You have healing powers, too?" Steven asked in surprise.

"Yeah. I mean, you probably could've just healed that yourself, but I figured I should do it, since you know - I did that."

Steven looked down. "Actually... I couldn't have healed myself. My healing spit doesn't work anymore."

Mike raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Wait, healing... spit? I thought Rose Quartz had healing tears?"

"Yeah, she did. But I have healing spit... well, I HAD healing spit, but it stopped working a while ago."

"It.. stopped working? Steven, Gem powers don't just go away."

"Well, mine did anyway. They worked fine for a while, but after my dad faked still having a broken leg, they just stopped working."

That seemed very unusual. A Gem's powers never just stop working. As far as he knew, their powers only stopped working when their Gems were damaged or something.

Mike rubbed his chin. "Huh... hang on a second." He said, holding a finger up.

He then surprised Steven by promptly smashing his head through a window.

"Ow... there, now I'm all cut. Try and heal me." The Gem said, sitting in front of Steven.

"But it doesn't work." Steven replied.

"Hey man, I just smashed my head through a window. Try it." Mike replied.

After a second of thinking, Steven complied. He licked his hand, covering it with his saliva, and placed his hand on Mike's now cut up cheek.

...Nothing.

Steven dissapointingly lowered his hand. "See? It doesn't work..."

Mike placed his own hand on his face. "Hmm... well, you DO have a Rose Quartz Gemstone..."

"Yeah, so?"

"The availability of a Rose Quartz Gem's powers are usually based on their emotions... how was your emotional level when you lost your healing ability, Steven?" Mike asked.

Steven thought about it. It happened after he fixed his dad's leg... but he lied to him about it.  
And then his healing powers stopped working because of it.

"Well... it started after Lapis broke my dad's leg and destroyed his van. After it happened, we let him stay with us in the beach house,  
since his van was where he lived, and I tried to use my healing spit to fix his leg..."

"...And?" Mike asked, having healed his cut face.

"It worked. But my dad didn't tell me that. He just faked still having his leg broken so he could spend more time with me, but after it happened, they just stopped working ever since."

Mike processed it for a moment, before his eyes lit up. "Hm... I think I know what the problem is, Steven." He said.

"Really?" Steven said. "What is it?"

"Alright, listen carefully. See, Rose Quartz Gems - which you are - like I said, have their emotions and thoughts connected to their powers. You said you fixed your father's leg and he lied about it, right? Well, that may be all in your head."

Steven listened intently.

"See, when your dad lied to you, it convinced you that your healing powers don't work anymore, even though they did work.  
But your mind didn't know it, so it pyschologically repressed that ability. And even after your father told you he lied, it didn't fix your ability, because at that point, it wasn't working for real, so now you know they aren't working for sure, and that's probably why you can't heal anymore!"

"... Uh... I'm lost. Can you go over that again?" Steven asked, bewildered.

Mike rubbed his forehead. "Sigh... look, your powers don't work because that's what you think. That's what you know.  
They stopped working because you thought they did, and now since you know for a fact they don't work, they don't."

"So... you're saying they'll never work again..?" Steven asked nervously. This wasn't an ability he wanted to use.  
It was too important to lose forever.

"Nonono, that's not what I'm saying Steven. What I'm saying is that it's all in your mind. If you really want your healing powers back,  
then you just have to convince yourself that you still have them. Which you do. You just need to realize it."

Steven perturbidly scratched his head. This was really confusing to him.

"But... how can I just 'realize it' when I'm convinced they don't work? I don't think I can just wish them back like that.  
What if I can't do it? What if I never get my healing powers back?"

The boy was comforted by Mike's warm hand on his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry buddy. I'll help you. We'll get your healing spit back together."

"...You'd do that?" Steven said.

"Of course. It's in a Hematite's blood to help others overcome negative thoughts and emotions. Besides, we're friends, right?"

"Right." Steven nodded. "...And Mike?"

"Hm?"

"I really don't blame you for what happened earlier. It wasn't your fault."

Mike warmly smiled. "You're always good for a smile... I'm sure your mom would be proud."

 **...**

 **Whew, that was a lot easier to write than the last chapter! I actually really enjoyed writing this one.**  
 **So now Mike's going to try and help Steven regain his powers. How will that turn out? Find out whenever the fuck I post the next chapter!**

 **..Also, we get another small mention of this Tourmaline... when will we get to hear her story...?**

 **Also, is Hematite hateable enough yet?**


	14. Chapter 13: Found Out: REVISED

**Yes, I rewrited this again. Only this time, I think you'll REALLY enjoy the changes to the chapter.**  
 **And I promise that this is the last update for this chapter.**

 **...**

*SMASH*

There went another window as Mike sent his hand through it.  
It only hurt slightly, and the glass shards kept blood from pooring out.

The Gem turned back to the young boy behind him.

"Alright, Steven." Mike started. "Now this time, I want you to imagine that this is fatal, and your healing is the only way to save me. Got it?"

Steven gazed down at the cut-up hand uneasily.  
The pieces of glass in his hand was an unnerving sight, to say the least.

The way they made his hand twitch uncontrollably didn't help, either.

Mike seemed to notice his discomfort.

"...Look, I know this might be freaking you out, but if you're going out there fighting corrupts and Homeworld Gems,  
then you're going to have to get used to seeing stuff like this."

Steven tried to keep his eyes off the damaged limb, rubbing his shoulder. "Yeah, but... I don't feel comfortable with you hurting yourself just to help me..." He said.

Mike lowered his hand. "Hey, don't worry about me. I've had WAAAY worse things than a little glass, y'know.  
I'm not just some human. I'm a Gem." He said, picking some glass out of his hand. "...Maybe you could use a little... inspiration?"

"Well, I dunno, maybe-

"DO IT!" Mike suddenly yelled, freaking the boy out.

"Huh?!" Steven asked in confusion.

"JUST DO IT!" Mike shouted again.

Steven stared bewildered at the bigger Gem. Was this supposed to be motivation?

"Some people dream of success, while you're gonna wake up, and work HARD at it. NOTHING is impossible!"

The Gem paused for a moment.

"You should get to the point, where anyone else would quit, and you're not gonna stop there!"

"Mike... you're kinda freaking me out."

"No, what are you waiting for?!" He pointed at his glassed hand. "DO IT! Just... DO IT!"

Steven looked at the hand again. "Mike, I... I've tried a lot already. I don't think I can..."

"YES YOU CAN! Just do it!"

Another pause.

"...If you're tired of starting over... stop. giving. up."

"...Why did you have to yell all that?" Steven questioned.

Mike shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. Isn't that how people here inspire each other?"

"I don't think so. You have to do more than just telling them to do something over and over."

"...Huh. Oh well." Mike replied. "...I guess we'll have to get your powers back another way..."

"Can it wait?" Steven asked. "There's something important I want to ask you..."

Mike began picking the glass shards out of his hand again. "Sure, Steven. Anything."

Steven thought about his question for a moment. He almost thought twice about it, wondering if he should even ask it.  
But at the same time, he was curious. And he felt like it was something he should know.

Mike noticed Steven's hesitation.

"Steven... you know there's anything you can ask me. You can trust me." He assured, placing his normal hand over the disfigured one to heal it.

"Okay, but... I don't know if you'll want to answer it. It's something kind of... well, bad." The boy said, rubbing his arm unassuredly.

"Bad...?... Look Steven, if it's about me, I don't mind. You can ask anything, and I'll answer it. Promise." Mike replied,  
having fully healed his hand.

Steven slowly nodded. "Well... okay. Here it is. See, when you first came here, and we met, I thought you were really cool.  
I mean, I still do, but... it's different now. You're really nice, and you care about me and Lapis and Earth and all that.  
But... you didn't tell me about Hematite. You told me he's really dangerous and mean and all that, but you didn't tell me about him."

Mike nervously swallowed. "I... didn't think I would get angry enough for him to come out. With the whole destabilizer thing though..."

"No, I understand that. You probably just didn't want me to worry, and that was nice. But... that's not what I'm asking."

Mike nervously waited for him to continue. He wasn't really sure he wanted to hear the question anymore.

"...What I'm asking is... have you ever... you know... killed?"

Mike was silent. The Gem disconnected his eye contact with the Gem child.

"W-w...why are you asking that...?" He asked, trying to sound normal, but his voice came out rushed and nervous.  
He didn't expect this question. He didn't expect Steven to ask him this.

Out of all the questions Steven could have asked, that could've been the worst option.

"I'm not trying to sound mean, but... I need to know. Did you hurt someone when you came to Beach City?"

Mike still didn't make eye contact, and was also now twirling his thumbs. "Why would you assume I would do something like that...?"

"Because... on the news the other day, when we met on the beach, the news guy was talking about another guy.  
One that was... killed. They said he got stabbed in the eye... and then I saw you near the ocean... and I completely forgot about it when we started talking."

"...Yeah...?" Mike said, beckoning Steven to continue, despite how much he didn't want him to.

"I didn't think you could do something like that at first. You're too nice a Gem to want to hurt anybody.  
But... when I was showing you around town, we passed by an alleyway with an ambulance truck and yellow tape and lots of people around. The way you looked over there, you're face looked... guilty of something."

Mike looked at the floor. He knew what he was talking about. That man that tried to rip his Gem out.  
The guilt was flowing back to him like a dam had been broken in his mind, and it was all rushing back to him.  
The plead for mercy, the knife, his screams... all of it.

"I didn't really think much of it then, because I just met you, and we had a pretty fun day together. And when I found out you were a Gem, I thought that made you even cooler... but... then I found out about Hematite..."

"Steven... where are you going with this?" Mike asked, despite already knowing what his answer would be.

"Mike... nobody in Beach City would ever do something like that to someone else. I'm great friends with everybody here,  
and I know more than anything that they would never kill someone. Not any people, not the Gems, I don't even think Peridot would do that. But Hematite... he tried to kill me when I shoved him. And you said it yourself, that he's really mean and dangerous. So... did you kill that guy? I mean, did Hematite make you do it?"

Mike let out a big breath. The ashamed look on his face almost said it all. He almost didn't need Mike to vocally confirm it.

He had hoped no one would ever have to know about that. He had never done anything like that to a human before,  
and he hated himself for it. Yes, Hematite was the one who plunged the knife, but it was his fault for overreacting and getting angry. Yeah, he tried to pull his Gem out of his chest, but he would have never actually done it.  
Gems don't just rip out if a human tries it.

So it was just as much his fault as it was Hematite's.

"...Yeah. Yeah, Steven. I did it. I... I killed him." He replied to the boy, still avoiding eye contact with him.

But he could still tell how he felt. He could tell what his expression was, despite not seeing it.  
Sadness. Worry. Confusion... and fear.

"And before you say anything... I didn't mean to. I just... he tried to assault me. For whatever reason, he wanted to take my Gem. I don't know why, but he tried pulling it out of my chest. So I... lost control. Hematite took over,  
and then he... stabbed him in the eye."

Steven didn't know what to say to all this.

The idea of Mike switching personalities on a dime to something like Hematite was frightening.  
Mike told him Hematite was dangerous, but he didn't think he'd actually kill someone else...

He only guessed that Hematite killed that man from the news, but he didn't want it to actually be true.  
And what's worse... what if it could happen again?

The way that Hematite nearly strangled him for being shoved... it's scary.  
If Mike could switch from being kind and considerate to mean and murderous so easily... what could that mean for him and everyone else in Beach City? What if he ends up hurting someone he cares about? Like his dad? Or Connie?

"He... made you watch it?" Steven asked.

He assumed that was the only way he could know he did it.

"...He only makes me watch sometimes. Most of the time I don't even see what he's doing. Whenever one of us takes control, we supress the other mentally for as long as we can. I keep him subdued until I'm angry... well,  
before Peridot destabilized me. And he keeps me subdued until he eventually calms down.

But now... I can feel him constantly trying to take control. And he did it so easily, too. One minute I was talking to Peridot, the next I'm out here choking you? It's never been that easy before.  
So... I know the only thing that can come from this is danger. Hematite his dangerous, and it's important that if and when he takes control again Steven, you just do your best to stay away from him. Either run, hide,  
or if there's forced confrontation, then do NOT make him more angry. Do you understand?"

He recieved no answer.

Instead, he looked up to find Steven looking past him, with a shocked look on his face.

"Garnet?" He said surprised, the mention of the name making Mike's blood go ice cold.

The Gem spun his head around, and sure enough, the tall Gem was standing just a few feet away from the two.  
And she did NOT look happy.

"You lied." She stated, anger noticabbly lining her voice.

Mike stood up. "Garnet... if you heard all that-

He was promptly cut off when the fusion violently jerked him up by the collar.

"You lied to me. You lied straight to my face after I gave you my trust. You're either incredibly bold or insane. And judging by what you said, I assume it to be the latter." She said calmly, but VERY clearly angry.

"Garnet, wait!" Steven tried to step in.

"Stay out of this Steven." She snapped at the boy.

The Gem turned her attention back to the startled Homeworld Gem.

"You are a fool to think you could lie to me and get away with it. I used my future vision again, and what was the first thing I saw? You mercilessly strangling him!"

"Garnet, if you just let me explain...!" Mike cried, trying to pry off the fusion's hands, which worked as well as you would expect it to. Badly

"So I come out here to see what's going on, and then I hear you murdered that human a few nights ago!?"

Mike almost couldn't reply. He was too busy cowering at Garnet's anger. The last thing he wanted to do was make a Garnet fusion angry. He didn't need to see her eyes through her visor to know how angry she was right now.

"I-I'm sorry! But there was a reason!" He replied hastily.

"And what was that reason? You secretly murder living beings behind everyone's backs?!"

"Garnet, don't hurt him, please!" Steven pleaded, terrified at the sight of one friend on the verge of caving in another's face.

"Steven, go outside."

But...!"

"NOW." Garnet demanded through clenched teeth.

"Steven." Mike said, gaining his attention.

Steven looked at his friend, terrified.

"Just go. I'll be okay." He assured him, despite not being sure himself.

"But... I don't want you to get hurt! I don't want anyone to get hurt!"

"Steven, just... let me and Garnet talk about this. I'll still be fine when you come back. Please."

Without another word, the Gem child slowly made his way to the door. He was scared out of his mind.  
He had never seen Garnet this angry before. Whenever she was mad, it was usually small things like him getting into trouble. But this was a different angry.

He was afraid of what Garnet was going to do now. Was she going to hurt Mike? Was she going to bubble him,  
or break him, or worse? He prayed she didn't do anything violent.  
If she did, he would have no other choice but to step in, whether she liked it or not.

The same thoughts were running through Mike's mind. He didn't know how to get out of this.  
He didn't know if he even could. If Garnet knew what he did to Steven, then this could be it for him.

"He may instantly forgive you for what you did, but I can assure you I'm not that easy.  
What you did is borderline unforgivable. You lied to us, and in doing so endangered Steven's life.  
So if you don't explain to me in the next 10 seconds why you did what you did, you will NOT be walking away from this conversation with an intact Gem."

She dropped Mike to the ground.  
The threat to his Gemstone sent a shiver up his spine.

"Ok,ok,ok, I'll tell you..." He started to explain, raising his hands up in defense. "I call him Hematite. After I took the name Mike, Hematite took the Gem name to differenciate ourselves."

"I'm not asking for names." Garnet growled, summoning a gauntlet on her left hand.

Mike flinched at the sight of it. "Alright, I'm sorry! Okay, so... alright Garnet... I don't know if you'll believe me, but... I have a split personality. Like I just said, his name is Hematite.  
I'm telling you this because I didn't strangle Steven. Hematite did. He takes control over my mind whenever I get extremely angry, and he manifested as a result of my defectiveness.  
I wanted to tell you, but if I did..."

"Enough." Garnet interrupted, raising a hand up.

She observed the former Homeworld Gem's body language carefully, taking in every small detail.  
His arms were raised protectively, so he was probably worried about any physical contact.  
He was sweating profusely and his speech was quick and he stuttered a bit, so he was clearly nervous.  
And he couldn't maintain full eye contact with her.

It was the body language of a liar.

The Crystal Gem ominously began taking steps towards the smaller Gem, who in return nervously backed away.

"This is not a good time to lie to me more, Michael." She stated threatingly.

It was when Mike's back hit the wall that he responded.

"No no no, you don't understand Garnet, I can prove it! I can show you he's real!" He defended.

"Humor me." She replied with sarcasm lining her voice.

Despite the clear sarcasm, he felt a slight wave of relief he had a chance to prove his innocence.

Without wasting a second, he thought up the words in his head.

"Hematite!" He said. "Hematite, I need to talk to you."  
Normally he would never ask Hematite for help, but at this point it was either that or being cracked, shattered or bubbled.

A moment passed before there was a response.

"...What?" Hematite finally replied. No insanity in his tone, nor anger. That might be a good thing.

"Oh, good... listen... I need to talk about something important. Right now." Mike said.

He recieved a scoff in response. "Really? That's too bad, I was busy thinking about all the reasons you're the worst person I've ever known in my life. Maybe you should try again later..."

"No! No, Hematite, seriously, I NEED to talk. Can you be serious for one minute?"

Another pause.

"...Whatever." He replied bluntly.

Obviously he was in no mood to speak right now. His tone made it sound like he wanted to punch Mike in the face, which, if he did that, he'd be punching himself in the face, so of course he couldn't.

"Alright, good. So, here's the thing... Garnet knows about you killing that human.  
And strangling Steven. She saw that with her future vision, and she's this close to snapping my neck because of it."

"Ha... so I assume she thinks you're the one who did it? That's hysterical..." He replied rudely.  
Oddly, his tone had absolutely no energy in it. Just quiet and calm.

"Yeah. So that's why I'm talking to you. She doesn't believe me when I say you exist. She thinks I did these things all on my own. So I need you to speak to her and prove I'm not lying, so she doesn't kill me!"

Despite being in his mind, and therefore no bodies or faces to see, he could tell Hematite was unamused.  
"So basically, you're throwing me under the bus to save yourself...?" He asked.

"It's not like that. I wasn't responsible for those things. YOU were, so I don't think it's exactly fair that I get imprisoned or killed because you felt like drawing blood!" Mike replied, voice raised.

"And what happens then, Mike? Is she gonna suddenly forgive you because you're not the one who "pulled the trigger," so to speak? Did you forget that YOU decided you didn't want to tell her or the other Crystal C***s about me? It seems like this is all on you." He mocked

"Don't call them that! Yeah, you're right, I could have and should have told them about you before,  
but... I was scared of what they would all do! I'd rather ease into it, let them trust me first before I tell them, which would have worked out if _YOU_ didn't vicously attack Steven just because he shoved you!"

"I'll call them whatever I want to call them. I'm not the one who cares about them. And I'll do whatever I want, and that _DOESN'T_ include helping you in any way. You get yourself out of this, Mike."

"...Hematite. Please... I need you right now. Your the only one who can help me in this situation.  
I'm doomed if you don't help me... please. This is not just for me. It's for me, it's for you, and it's for Steven.  
I don't want to die, you don't want to die, and he doesn't want us to die."

Silence. Hematite seemed like he pondered the decision for a brief moment.

"...Nice try. He doesn't want _YOU_ to die. He doesn't even know me. I don't care if he cares about you, or you care about him. You're on your own, Mike.

You and Steven can go _ **burn."**_

Mike waited for him to say something else... he didn't.

"Hematite? Don't go. I need you..."

Dead silence. He was gone.

Hematite's voice had vanished, and just like that, Mike was alone with his thoughts.

"Enough of this, Michael."

The former Homeworld Gem nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice of Garnet making itself relevant.  
His blood was ice cold now, as he looked up to meet the visor-clad eyes of the fusion, her patience weared completely thin.

Hematite wasn't going to help him. Steven couldn't help him. He couldn't help himself. It seemed like no one could.

"Michael, when I told you to "prove" yourself true about this "alter ego" of yours, that didn't mean just sit there and sweat like a pig."

For a second time, the Crystal Gem hoisted him up by the collar of his shirt.  
This could be it for him, Mike thought to himself. No one around to help him as the fusion Gem likely prepared to permanately knock his lights out.

"It's clear you're just stalling, and it's clear you're just lying. You betrayed my trust, killed a human and nearly killed Steven too, and then pathetically attempt to cover your tracks."

She summoned a gauntlet.

"It's clear to me now that you're a danger to us, this city, not to mention this planet. And while you betrayed Yellow Diamond and Homeworld, you're clearly mentally unstable, so I have no other choice..."

She raised her fist up. The gauntlet shined in the light of the afternoon sun, as it readied for a crash course for his Gemstone.

Mike shut his eyes tight and looked away. He didn't want to see this. The fact that this was happening to him right now, he couldn't believe. In the span of a few minutes, he had gone from being trusted by the leader of rebel Earth Gems, to about to being on the recieving end of her deadly gauntlet, which would utterly shatter his Gem with one swift strike.

"Goodbye, Michael." Garnet bid, a second away from striking the Gem, and sending him off the face of this universe...

"...Wait."

 **...**

 **Boom, better ending, better cliffhanger. I wonder who spoke up? Find out, in the next chapter!**


	15. Chapter 14: Salty

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are leaving a review or comment on a chapter, please don't PM me about it.  
Personal Messaging is only if you have questions or concerns about the story. Thank you.  
aNYWAYS, lET'S cOnTInUe tEH sToRY m8s.

...

Peridot.

Garnet and Mike's eyes snapped toward the source of the voice.  
Mike still felt a harsh grip on him, but he could tell it loosened a little.  
Indeed, there she was. Standing at the opposite end of the room, near the bathroom door, stood the Homeworld Gem.  
Her previously torn off prosthetic fingers were now reattached to her arm, albeit slightly cracked and dented,  
and through her cracked visor you could see a look of fear and hesitance.

"He's telling the truth, you two-way clod..." She said, voice hinting fear, yet she still brave enough to defend her fellow Gem.

While being slightly ticked at her choice of an insult, Garnet looked back at the Gem she had in her grip.  
She glanced at him. She glanced down at his sparkling black Gemstone.

She looked back at Peridot. Her pose and expression was full of assuredness.  
But she 100% doubted that Peridot could be trusted. After everything she's put the Crystal Gems through,  
there was no way she could be trusted on anything she said.

...But should she take the chance she was telling the truth? Either way, if Mike does have some sort of split personality, he still neglected to tell anybody, which still put them in danger.  
...Yet, she didn't want to shatter him if he technically wasn't the one responsible. If that was the case, she could simply imprison him in a bubble until they figure out what to do with him.  
It's obvious that she required Amethyst and Pearl's opinions on this matter.

She looked back to Mike.

He didn't say anything, but he clearly was begging in his head; trust her. Please trust her.

She dropped him back onto the hard wooden floor.

"Stay here. I'm getting the others. If I'm finding out what exactly is going on here, they need to be a part of it.  
She turned to Peridot. "You too. We need a full story from both of you."

And with that, the agitated fusion started towards the temple, leaving the two Homeworld Gems to their own devices.

Mike brushed his short hair back with his hand so that it didn't hang in front of his eyes.  
He could not have been more relieved right now. He was THIS close to having his Gem shattered,  
and then Peridot saves him. And while dealing with the other Crystal Gems would not be pretty,  
he was at least grateful she savaged him from a violent demise.

He looked over to her.  
When Peridot was done watching the fusion enter the temple, her gaze shifted back to her comrade.

"You're welcome." She greeted, walking over to him, her metallic feet clanking on the wood with each step she took.

"Peridot..." Mike said, getting to his feet. "...Yeah, thanks. You really saved my hide..."

"Consider us even. If you weren't with them at the Kindergarten they probably would have destroyed me before I could get a word out. So I figured I'd return the favor so you won't breathe down my neck about how I "owe you one."

Mike nodded. "Yeah... could've jumped in a little sooner, but I'm still grateful."

"...I was considering letting her do it."

Mike looked at the green Gem. "Come again?"

"I said I was considering letting her do it. You weren't the one who apparently strangled the Steven,  
but she was right about you; you're unstable."

"...Well, it's not a lie, I guess..."

"Seriously, Hematite. You are. I hate every Gem in this building with a passion, but that perma-fusion had a point when it was going to crush your Gem into dust. You're dangerously unstable. If I gained a rank for every Gem you've destroyed, or injured, or cracked, I'd be higher up than Yellow Diamond herself.  
Heck, you almost killed me before when I slapped you. A slap has never turned you before.  
And if I didn't know any better, I'd say your condition is deteriorating."

"You treat it like it's something I can control, Peridot. Like it's something I do myself." Mike replied.

It always bothered him when someone he knows treats his condition like he's the one who does the things that Hematite is responsible for. It made him angry, because the Gems who say it are well aware it's a split personality, yet they treat him like he's the sick one. It made him feel sick.

"Be that as it may, you have to remember, Hematite; lots of weak Gems have died at your hands."

"Alright Peridot, I get it." Mike hastily replied, waving off the Gem. "I don't need to hear this now."

Peridot shrugged her shoulders. "Right. I forget you can be very... overly sensitive about things."

"Put a sock in it, Peridot." Mike said, slightly ticked off.

"...What's a sock?" Peridot asked in confusion. "And... put it where...?"

Mike glared at Peridot in clear annoyance. He's likes being nice, but even he has a limit.

However, before he could say anything else, he and Peridot were treated to the sound of yelling.

"You son of a bitch!" Came the voice of a very angry Amethyst, who stormed into the room from the temple entrance.

Without a second thought, she kicked Mike right in the shin.

"OW!" Mike yelled, grasping his knee in pain. For such a small Gem, she packed quite a punch. Or... kick.

"What's all this crap I'm hearing from Garnet that you attacked Steven?!" She shouted, kicking him in the other shin.

"AH! Son of a... ffrrk...!" Mike tried desperately not to lose his composure as he grasped his other kneecap.

"Amethyst, calm down." Came the voice of Garnet, who exited from the temple with Pearl directly by her side.

"Calm down?! How can I calm down after hearing what he did!?" Amethyst whipped in their direction.

"Garnet is right, Amethyst. That's no way to interrogate someone." Pearl replied.

...She then proceeded to slap Mike hard across the face.  
She had a burning fire in her eyes, and it was clearly showing through her actions.

"HOW COULD YOU?!" She screamed, grabbing both of the Gem's shoulders in a death-grip.

"HE'S ONLY A CHILD, YOU HEARTLESS MONSTER!"

Despite being one of, if not the weakest Gems ever created, Mike couldn't help but feel intimidated.  
She had the look that said that she'd tear him apart if he could.

"Pearl." Garnet said calmly. "I told you to try and remain calm about this."

"Calm?! After what he did to Steven?! There is absolutely NO excuse for this, Garnet!"

"That's just it, though. There IS an excuse. And that's what I brought you two out here; to find out whether or not it's just that, or the truth. Now, let him go."

Pearl stared him down. She glanced back at Garnet, and back to him.  
Reluctantly, she shoved him away and took some steps back. But her eyes stayed glued on him,  
observing his every move.

"Alright. Now, if everyone's calmed down... Michael, I'd like to tell you what our plan is."

"Okay... shoot." Mike replied, rubbing his aching cheek.

"Alright. So, after a brief discussion, as well as some brief... disputing, the three of us have come to a conclusion.  
When you attempted to showcase this "split personality" of yours, it didn't end well for you."

Mike listened intently, hoping for some form of leverage in his case.

"However... since Peridot backed up your story, I've decided to give you another chance.  
So here's our deal. If you fail to prove your other violent personality's existence again, you will be given two choices;  
You can choose to be bubbled and placed in the burning room, or you can save us the room and allow us to shatter your Gem brutally and violently for what you've done."

Mike nervously swallowed. "...Uh-huh...?"

"But... if you CAN prove it's existence, and prove your innocence... you will be forgiven, and we will continue the interrogation with the one you call Hematite. Assuming what we can figure out from him,  
all of us will discuss what can be done about him. Understood?"

Mike breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Oh yeah, of course! Of course, just give me a minute!"  
The Gem couldn't be more relieved right now. He was 100% positive they would shatter him six ways from sunday when all three Gems came out, so he could feel peace that he might live to see another day.  
Immediately, he began thinking to himself again.

"Hematite? You there...?" He asked.

A moment passed.

"...Well, that was pretty close, huh Mike?" He heard the mocking voice ring out in his head.

"Shut up, Hematite. No more games, no more hiding and framing me. Three of four Crystal Gems are waiting for you right now, and if you don't come out of hiding like a coward, then they are going to kill me. And we both know that if I die, then you die with me. I swear to whatever deity Earth has,  
if you don't tell them that YOU'RE the one who hurt Steven, then I swear, I SWEAR, if we both end up in the fiery inferno humans call hell, I will make every single second of the rest of your existence painful and full of the misery and payback that you deserve. And if you don't tell them the truth, then I'd be happy to put the blade through my Gem and send us both down there. Do you hear me?"

A long pause. Clearly Hematite was surprised by his counterpart's sudden shift in tone.  
After a while, he spoke up again.

"...Woah. Never thought I'd hear that coming from you..." He said. "...Alright... deal."

"Good." Mike affirmed. "Now take control and tell them the truth-

"On ONE condition..." He interrupted Mike right before he finished his sentence.

"Ugh... what?!" Mike replied annoyingly.

"Temper, temper, Mike. Now, that impressive speech you just gave me... it was admirable, but it hit me in a place I didn't want it to..."

"Go on." Mike said.

"I don't really want to just come out after what you said to me. I think I'll need a little... motivation..."

Mike let out a heavy sigh. "You can't be serious."

"I've never been more serious..." Hematite replied smugly. "You know how it's been all our life.  
You get hurt and angry, and then I come out. Why spoil the fun?"

"...You're telling me to hurt myself so you come out." Mike said with distaste in his voice.

"What? Oh, nonononono, I could never ask my friend to hurt himself..."

Mike was utterly disgusted by this attitude, yet he went on.

"So what do you want me to do, Hematite?" He asked, agitated.

"Well... you're surrounded by four Gems... I think you can figure it out... good luck, bro."

And just like that, he was gone again.

If Mike could facepalm in his head, surely he would. Hematite was doing the thing he always does; playing with him. He wants to see him in pain before he'll come out. And if that's the only way to bring him out, then it seemed like he had no other choice.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead in frustration. When he opened his eyes, he was back in the beach house. Peridot and the Crystal Gems were waiting expectantly.

"So...? What's the deal?" Amethyst asked. "He comin' out?"

Mike sighed. "Okay, I have good news, and I have bad news."

They waited patiently.

"...The good news is; Hematite says he'll come out. But the bad news is; he wants me to get really angry first."

"Ok, so then get really angry!" Amethyst replied.

The short Gem was clearly eager for Hematite to come out so she could show her the business end of her whip.

Mike shook his head. "I can't just GET angry, that's the thing. You four are going to have to MAKE me angry."

"Well... what makes you angry then?" Pearl asked.

Mike removed his fedora and ran a hand through his messy hair.  
He was clearly hesitant to give them the answer. Four Gems stood in this room, one being a fusion, one being a quartz,  
one boasting powerful limb enhancers, and... a Pearl. So it would not be pretty if they ganged up on him.

"Well... considering there's nobody in this room I want to stick a knife into... I say the next best thing is if... you all beat me to the point of frustration."

All the Gems looked at each other with interest.

"Now... I don't know if any of you are comfortable with hurting me, and if you don't want to-

Before Mike could even finish his sentence, he was quickly lifted up into the air by Garnet, and promptly smashed into the nearby coffee table, breaking it in two.

Garnet observed the wreckage of the table as well as the Gem sprawled across it.  
His expression showed just as much shock as it did pain.

"Are you angry yet?" She asked.

Without a word, Mike slowly shook his head in pain.

Before he could regain his composure, the Gem lifted him up in the air again, and this time threw him into the hard wooden wall nearby, splintering the wood as well as leaving some splinters in his back.

"How about now?" Garnet asked again.

"A-guh...nuh...n-no...?" Mike hesitantly managed to squeeze out through his pain.

"Hey, no fair!" Amethyst chimed in. "Let me have some fun, too!"

Wham! Kick right to the gut of the downed Gem, who let out another cry of pain.

Amethyst then picked up a coffee mug out of the wreckage of the table.

*SMASH!* Right over the head of Mike.

As he lay writhing in pain on the ground, the purple Gem gave a light kick to the head.  
"You angry yet? Cause I can do more, ya know!" She said, excited at the prospect of being able to cause more pain to the beaten Gem.

"U...guhnn...jsh...not...yet..." Mike said, trying to catch his non-existent breath.

Oddly satisfied with the answer, Amethyst clasped her hands together. "Sweet, more fun for me then!  
You wait here, I got an idea that's gonna be friggin' hilarious!"

With the fear of what that was going to be in his mind, Mike watched the purple Gem run over to the nearby counter.  
He was going to watch what she was doing, but was distracted by a tap on his shoulder.

"Hematite."

He turned to who tapped him, only to be met by a strike to the jaw by Peridot's limb enhancer.

"...Are you angry now?" She asked.

"Ugh... NO. But I'm kind of getting there..." He replied through clentched teeth.

"Oh well, I tried." Peridot said, shrugging her shoulders, trying to hide her discomfort.

While she still felt uncomfortable being near him because of his condition, she took no comfort in watching him being brutalized. Even that punch she just gave him didn't feel right to do.  
Maybe it was just because he normally wouldn't hurt a soul, therefore he didn't deserve such a thrashing?

Her uneasiness was only further increased when she saw Amethyst coming back, whip in one hand, and a strange class container full of some sort of white substance in the other.

Mike looked even more uneasy, however. He didn't know if that was some sort of poison or what,  
but either way he wasn't eager to find out.

"Alright, roll the sleeve up and hold yer arm out." She said, readying her whip.

"Wait..." Mike said. "What's that white stuff? It's not poison, right?"

Amethyst looked at the container. "Relax man, it's just salt."

...He had no idea what "salt" was. For all he knew, it could paralyze his entire body or something.  
Very reluctantly, the Gem rolled up his sleeve, revealing his pale white arm, and held it out to Amethyst.

As he expected, she immediately hit him in said arm with her whip, cutting it open a bit.  
It hurt a little, but was nothing compared to what Garnet just did.

"Amethyst, you're seriously not going to waste salt on this, are you?" Pearl asked in annoyance.

"Why not? The stuff makes my tongue shrivel up like a raisin, anyway." She replied.  
She then turned back to Mike. "Alright, so... this is gonna sting A LOT." She told him, unscrewing the top of the salt container.

She then grabbed his arm and poured all of the salt into his open wound.  
For a second, he felt nothing.

"...So what, is this going to... wait... is this...?" He started to say, before the sensation dawned on him.

Whatever Amethyst just put into his arm, it wasted no time letting the Gem know how painful it was.  
He grabbed his arm and yelled at the top of his lungs.

"AAAAAHHH! What did you do to my arm!?"

Amethyst, who rather cruely laughed in response, stretched her whip before making it dissapear.  
"Just poured a little salt in your wound. How's it feel?" She replied mockingly.

Mike didn't reply. He was too busy blowing on his wound trying to die down the pain a little.  
He didn't try to heal it, because the point of all this was to get him angry.  
Although at this point, it felt more like a torture session than it did trying to get Hematite to come out.  
And the fact that Amethyst was apparently taking pleasure in making him feel pain... THAT made him angry...

He stopped blowing his wound.  
He slowly looked up to Amethyst, who was still laughing at his displeasure.  
How could she be laughing at this? This isn't something to laugh at; this is a serious situation, yet she's still finds this... funny?!

Without a second thought, he tightly grabbed the Gem's throat, abrubtly cutting off her laughter.  
Her shocked look only angered him further. Surely she should have saw this coming.  
He quickly got back to his feet, bringing Amethyst up with him.

"I'll give you something to laugh at..." He growled in a low, dark voice.

However, before he could deal out the same pain she inflicted on him, he was stopped by Garnet's voice.  
"Michael, put her down; now!" She ordered.

He looked at Garnet, still clutching Amethyst tight in his grasp.  
She looked ready to fight him. And it was clear that in a real fight, she would beat him.  
So he obliged, and dropped Amethyst to the ground hard.  
The Gem then crossed his arms and looked Garnet dead-on.

"Fine. You have my attention. Happy?" He sarcastically asked.

Amethyst, who was rubbing her neck in discomfort, was the one to reply.

"The hell's your problem, dude?!" She shouted, before kicking him in the knee once more.  
However, this time she was met only with a cold stare from the unreactive Gem.  
"Do that one more time, and I'll break both of your f*cking legs."

"That's enough you two." Garnet interrupted the dispute, however her attention was purely centered on Mike.

"...You're Hematite." She addressed him.

"Wow, you should get a gold star for guessing that, detective." He retorted.

"Enough games, why did you hurt Steven?!" Pearl dared to ask.

"...Why not?" Hematite responded, whilst pretending to check his fingernails for dirt.

"Don't you dare backtalk me! You're in no position to give faulty answers."

"And a Pearl is in no position to ask questions to a Hematite. Puppets don't need answers."

"I'm no puppet, I'm as equal as every other Crystal Gem here!"

"Ha!" Hematite laughed. "As if a Pearl can even function on it's own! You're kind is just as worthless as Peridots."  
He gave Peridot a mocking glare, who looked away without a word.

"Alright, if we're done with the flame war..." Garnet spoke up, narrowing her eyes at Hematite.  
"Hematite, we've been told that you're the one responsible for not only putting your hands on Steven,  
but also responsible for the death of a human. Is this true?"

"No Garnet, out of two personalities, one nice and the other really violent, the nice one was the one who's responsible for assault and murder."

"Now's not the time for sarcasm. I could easily break your Gem into a million pieces before you can say "ow."

Hematite scoffed. "Now see, that's an empty threat. I figured with two Gems swimming around in your head,  
one of them would figure out that if you kill me, then you kill Mike too. And I don't think any of you are willing to hurt him."

"Uh, she just smashed him through a table, into a wall, I kicked him a million times, and poured salt in an open cut. I think we're okay with hurting him." Amethyst chimed in.

"That's irrelevant. Because you'd never kill him knowing he's innocent for my crimes. If you kill him,  
then your twisted sense of justice is no better than Yellow Diamond's."

"Don't start comparing us to her. The whole reason we're here right now is because we're nothing like Yellow Diamond, or Homeworld."

"Are you? What about all those Gems locked up in that prison you call a burning room? I was told you all have a hope you can un-corrupt those Gems, but do you even try? Gems on Homeworld work days and nights on end studying, observing, and trying to find a way to fix corrupted Gems. No Gem here has the brain capacity to comprehend corruption. You say you want to fix them, but you probably don't even try.  
You just leave them locked up in a room to rot for centuries while you waste your lives trying to protect an inferior species."

"While I have no desire to break Mike's Gem, I am perfectly fine with breaking your jaw, so I suggest you shut it before I break it, and answer the questions we want you to answer. Are. We. Clear?" Garnet demanded,  
clearly angered.

"You know what?" Hematite threw his hands up. "Fine. You want to know why I did what I did?"

Before he spoke again, Hematite placed a hand on his arm, quickly sealing the cut.  
The three Crystal Gems and Peridot all waited eagerly for an answer. Their patience fully tested,  
their lines fully crossed, Hematite decided to humor them with his response.

"Because I can. That human? He couldn't have done anything to hurt me, but I killed him simply because I could.  
He was just some low-life criminal that tried to take my Gemstone, probably just so he could pawn it off in some raggedy old shop in some run-down one horse town. You should all be thanking me for that. He was a criminal that has no place in existence. Nobody would miss him,  
hell, I doubt anyone even knew him, so why not just rid this hunk of rock of one parasite?"

"Because our duty is to protect this "hunk of rock" and any "parasites" that inhabit it, regardless of petty thievery. And when there's someone that's a threat to them or this planet, we have to step in and take care of it."

"Yeah, you might think that being from Homeworld and all, that you can just come here and pick off whoever you want, but guess what? That's not how things work here, pal."

"Why don't you grab a stool so you can say that to my face?"

"Why don't you shut up about my height before I shove a stool up your-

"That's enough, you two." Garnet got in between the two Gems as to avoid any physicality.  
"Hematite, I think we've heard enough from you. So if you're done trying to get yourself killed by us,  
then we'd like for you to give Mike back control."

"Pfft. And what if I don't want to? Maybe I don't want to give control back to him."

"...Fine. If you insist..." Garnet materialized a gauntlet on her left hand, and with the speed of a bullet,  
delivered a sucker punch that launched Hematite into the wall, after which he slid off the wall and landed face first.

Garnet approached his crumpled form.  
"Did I make myself clear there, or do you need another lesson?"

"Ugh...Hello to you to, Garnet..." He slurred, lifting himself up, holding his aching face.  
Mike had taken control back.

Realizing this, Garnet got rid of her gauntlet.

"Man... if I were a human, I'd probably have one of those "concussion" things right now..."

"I apologize for that, but I wasn't in the mood to deal with more of his bickering." She replied.

Mike looked up at Garnet hopefully. "His bickering? So... you believe me now?"

"Yes, we do." Garnet crossed her arms. "He's definitely as violent as he is obnoxious, but we got the answers we needed."

"Oh, that's good... as long as he gets his comeuppance. " He said. "So, what now?"

"Well, considering you'ved proved your innocence in this matter, I think it's only fair that we all apologize."  
She looked at Amethyst and Pearl.

Pearl spoke first.  
"I... apologize for slapping you and shouting at you. I should have listened to your side of the story first."  
After her apology, she looked to Amethyst.

"Yeah... sorry for kicking you in the knee a million times, smashing a mug over your head, and cutting your arm open and pouring salt in it. I guess I should've toned it down a bit."

"And I apologize for nearly killing and/or bubbling you without listening to what you had to say.  
I suppose had Peridot not backed up your story, I would have made the mistake of killing a trustful ally."

Mike rubbed the back of his head in relief. "Thanks. I accept your apologies. Besides, that beating I got was still not as bad as my treatment on Homeworld, so I thank you for not ripping my arm off or something."  
He looked at Peridot. "Thanks to you too, Peridot. I would have probably been dead right now if it wasn't for you."

Peridot scoffed and looked away, blushing in embarrasment. She wasn't used to being thanked in public,  
and she clearly didn't like it.

"Now that that's out of the way..." Garnet spoke. "I think we've had enough drama for one day.  
Mike, it's clear that Hematite is a danger, but as long as nobody makes you angry, you can keep him concealed; am I right?"

Mike nodded.

"Alright. You can go and bring Steven back inside. And you should tell him about what we discussed, aside from...  
our way of getting Hematite out. I think we should all just take a break and talk about this later."

And with that being said, Garnet left back to the temple, likely back to the burning room.

"I'm just gonna hang out here for a while." Amethyst said, hopping onto the couch.

"I guess I'll just clean up this mess..." Pearl said with mild annoyance, observing the smashed table and salt on the ground.

Mike nodded and headed for the door. Before he left, he looked back just in time to see Peridot pull the door to the bathroom shut.  
He then opened the door to the house and exited, pulling it's door shut himself.  
He walked over to the railing and leaned on it, covering his face in his hands.  
Today was too close a call. Hematite would have gotten him killed if it wasn't for Peridot.  
Every accusation he got from Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl almost felt more painful then the beating he got from them.  
Sure, he still barely knew them, but the fact that they were Gems opposing Homeworld that cared about what was basically his home planet made him feel at home. So any accusations of him being evil stung more than all the salt in the world.

He removed his hands.  
He scanned the area for Steven, but didn't see him at first.  
However, he soon noticed him sitting on the sand at the bottom of the stairs to the house, back turned away from it.  
Immediately, he began a walk down the staircase.  
About halfway down the stairs, Steven heard and turned his head to him.

"Mike, you're okay!" He smiled, running over and hugging his legs as soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey Steven." Mike replied, messing up his curly hair.

Steven looked up at his face with worry. "Your hurt. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry, buddy. Hematite just needed a little "motivation" to come out. I can heal this in an instant."

"...I heard yelling. What happened?"

Everything's fine. I explained to the Gems about Hematite, and they believed me and everything's fine now.  
I came here to bring you back up to the house."

Steven breathed a sigh of relief, and released his legs. "Oh, good. For a second, I thought Garnet was gonna... you know."

"Nah, she knows now that it's not my fault. Although if it wasn't for Peridot, I might not have been so lucky."

"She helped you?"

"Yeah. I told you she's not that bad."

There was silence for a moment.

"So... everything's okay now? Everyone knows your not bad?" Steven asked.

"Yeah Steven. Everyone knows I'm not bad. They forgave me and everything. And they know not to make me angry so Hematite probably won't come out again, alright?"

"...Well, okay then! But... there's something I wanted to ask you, before... you know, you told me about Hematite."

"Okay..." Mike rubbed his nose. "And what's that?"

"...Am I allowed to talk to Peridot? I've wanted to talk to her for a long time, because I want us to be friends?  
But until now, I never got the chance to. Is that alright?"

Mike thought for a moment. Peridot definitely wasn't trusting of anyone but him, and even then, that trust probably wore thin due to his allignment with the Crystal Gems. So Steven is one of the last people she'd want to talk to.  
...But it was no death sentence, either. Talking to Steven would do her no harm, and having Peridot on their side would be a great addition, considering she has knowledge of Homeworld even he himself doesn't know, such as the cluster. Besides, she can't exactly go back there at this point.

"...I think that's a good idea, Steven. Maybe a talk with you is just what she needs. Let's go."

"Really? I can talk to her?"

"Of course, she can't hurt you, and you won't hurt her, so there's no harm in it. But... there's one thing I should tell you first."

"What is it?" Steven asked as the two Gems walked back up the stairs to the temple.

"Try not to bring up her limb enhancers. She can't do much without them, so she's really self-conscious."


	16. Chapter 15: Planning

**_Not much to say here, just enjoy the chapter!_**

 ** _..._**

Peridot sat back down on the cold hard bathroom floor.  
She had absolutely no idea what to think of everything around her.  
She gets stranded on Earth, Jasper and Lazuli dissapear, Hematite defects to the turncoat Crystal Gems,  
they take her into custody, and now here she is locked up in this room to avoid any form of contact with anybody.  
She wants to leave this planet, but she can't go back to Homeworld, either.  
The moment she met those Gems, everything in her life crumbled to the ground.  
She can't go home, she has to be stuck on a planet with a Gem mutant forming at the center of it,  
and besides Hematite, there is no Gem she's familiar with with Jasper's absence, and even he could flip at any moment and destroy her Gem. Besides, even if Jasper was around, she'd only make the situation worse like she always does.

Her life seemed in complete shambles at this point.

However, before she could come up with another reason why her life is terrible, the door slowly creaked open.  
Peridot felt a bit of dread when she realized she forgot to lock the door again.  
For a second, it appeared nobody was there. But before she could get up to close the door again,  
she was displeased to see that it was Steven who had opened the door.

"Hey, Peridot!" He greeted the Homeworld Gem rather cheerily.

In response to the half-Gem, Peridot herself made a sound of disgust and looked away.

To further her displeasure, Steven entered the room and closed the door.  
"Do you think we can talk?"

"I don't want to talk to anyone. Go away." She replied.

However, instead of leaving, Steven only walked closer to the green Gem.

"Aw come on, don't be like that! I just wanna talk to you for a bit. Please?"

"No. Go away."

"...Please?"

"No."

"...Pleeeaassee?"

Peridot looked at the boy. "No! Why do you even want to talk to me all of a sudden?!"

Steven shrugged his shoulders. "I wanted to talk to you sooner, but Mike reformed before I could.  
We talked, then I almost died, and then I asked him if it was okay to come talk to you, and he said yes."

"Hematite doesn't dictate who I talk to. I dictate who I talk to, and it's not you. So leave. Now."

"...Why do you keep calling him that?" Steven asked.

"Huh?"

"Mike. You keep calling him Hematite, even though him and his other personality are different people.  
Didn't he tell you that?"

Peridot scoffed. "He did, and I laughed in his face. A Gem wanting to be addressed by a human name?  
That's rich. No, he's a Hematite Gem, so as far as I'm concerned, he's Hematite, and that of which is a result of his dissociative identity disorder, I call Hematite too. They share a body, they share a Gem, so they're both Hematite. Besides, Mike is a stupid name anyway."

"...How come you act mean when you talk about him? Aren't you two friends?"

Wanting to avoid further eye contact with the Gem, Peridot pretended to observe the damage to her limb enhancers. "Is that how he phrased it? Peh, we're nothing more than colleagues.  
There are no friends on Homeworld." She said, running a finger across the cracks on her fake limb.

"There are colleagues and there are assistants. There's workers and there's second in commands.  
We don't have time to waste with petty things like friendship."

"But... he told me that he cared about you as a friend. Don't you care about him? I mean,  
he told me that you stopped Garnet from hurting him. Wouldn't you do that if you care about him?"

"...You know, for someone who's apparently a Gem, you ask a lot of stupid questions.  
I only helped him because we worked together occasionally on Homeworld.  
I didn't help him because we're friends, I didn't help him because we're close, I helped him because he's tolerable, at the most. If I'm doomed to be stuck on this doomsday clock of a planet with all of you,  
I should at least be able to talk to someone who didn't strand me here in the first place."

Steven felt a slight stab of guilt with that last statement. While that was a complete accident, she was true about that. She was here because of him and the Gems.

"We didn't mean to strand you here. It was an accident. I mean, no offense, but it might have not happened if you didn't try to kidnap us."

"Oh please, I didn't even want any of you. Jasper wanted to take you back to Homeworld.  
All I wanted to do was obliterate you so you'd stop interfering with my work.  
And maybe if you had all just left me alone and let me do it, none of us would be here right now."

"Look Peridot, I'm really sorry about destroying your spaceship and all, but since you're stuck on Earth now, wouldn't you want to learn about it and make friends with people? Cause that's why I'm here right now. I wanna be friends with you!"

Peridot snorted in amusement. "That's why your here? To make friends? Don't waste your time."

"No, really!" Steven said, walking over and sitting in front of Peridot. "I really want to be friends with you, Peridot!"

Peridot didn't say anything, and continued to fiddle with her fake arm.

"..Can you please look at me Peridot? Just for a second?" Steven asked.

He felt bad that Peridot would rather lock herself up than try and make friends. He understood it, of course. After all, they were the reason her ship was destroyed and she was stuck here.  
But he felt like he owed it to her, to let her see the side of Earth that she, Jasper and even Lapis haven't gotten the chance to see. To make friends so she wasn't alone.

Peridot sighed, and looked up at him. "What, Steven? What do you want?"

"I already told you, Peridot... to be friends. If you're stuck on Earth now, don't you want to actually have friends, so you're not alone through all of it? I know you're mad at us, and you have every reason to, but nobody's gonna hurt you. None of us want to hurt anybody."

Peridot looked down. She hugged her legs, pondering his statement for a moment.

She looked back up.

"...And how do I know I can trust you after all you've put me through?" She asked. "You Crystal Gems have done everything in your power to not only prevent me from fufilling my mission,  
forcing me to temporarily give up my foot, and nearly killed me on several occasions.  
How could I possibly trust you?"

"Because, Peridot..." Steven started, taking Peridot's hand with both of his. "I care about you.  
I don't want you to be alone. I want you to be happy. And that's what Mike wants to.  
I don't know if you'll ever trust me, but I want you to know... you're not alone."

Peridot yanked her hand away, surprising Steven.

"...I don't like it when things touch me." She said, holding her arm away.

"Sorry. I can stop touching you if it makes you feel better."

Peridot rubbed her black eye under her visor, grimacing as she did so. "Look, Steven. I don't trust you. I don't trust a single one of you Crystal Clods. I've no interest in becoming friends with any of you.  
...BUT... seeing as how I'm now trapped on this planet and can never return to Homeworld... I'm willing to form an alliance. As in; you scratch my back, I scratch yours, as humans here say.  
You don't put me in a bubble and harvest me, and I will provide you with information."

"Wha... really?" Steven asked. "You'd do that?"  
He was sure Peridot wasn't fond of not being able to go home, but would she just give information away about her home planet just like that, he wondered?

"I won't give you incredibly compromising information, because when Homeworld inevitably finds us here, it'll make my death all the more brutal and slow if they found out I gave you such info. However, I can give you information such as the Cluster and on certain Gems, such as Jasper.  
Does this sound like a fair bargain to ensure my safety?"

Steven wondered about that offer for a moment. It sounded fair... Peridot is safe, and they get to know about secret Homeworld Gem stuff? That seemed like a good enough offer for him!  
But would the Gems agree with it? After all, they probably planned on bubbling Peridot after they got the Cluster info out of her, considering everything she's done. But would they maybe give her a chance this way. Maybe they'd see that she's not that bad a Gem.  
And maybe... they could all be friends one day.

The Gem eagerly held his hand out. "Sounds good to me!" He exclaimed.

Peridot looked at his hand with mild disgust. "Oh. You want a... handshake?"

Steven suddenly remembered what she said about being touched by him.

"No, that's okay. We can just promise, okay?"

"...Okay... I promise not to try and obliterate you."

"Great! And I promise to ask the Gems not to obliterate you!"

Peridot folded her arms, satisfied with the answer. "Perfect. You can go now."

He didn't.

Peridot looked at Steven once more, who still hadn't left her to her lonesome.  
He just stood there, looking like he wanted to say something else, which of course annoyed her.  
They made a fair deal with eachother, so what else could he possibly want?  
One thing's for sure, she probably wouldn't like whatever he has to say.

Against her better judgement, she spoke to him.

"If you have something else to say Steven, just say it."

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing, really. I just wanted to ask you a question about Jasper and Lapis..." Steven asked curiously.

"Oh. Well... fine. What about them?"

"Do you care about them?"

"Ha!" Peridot retorted. "Of course not! Jasper's just a meat-head that thinks with her fists, and Lazuli's nothing more than my informant for my mission. I don't know where they are, but I'm fine with never seeing them again. I assume you all just shattered them and harvested their Gems for something."

"Actually, we didn't do anything to them. After they fused into Malachite and Lapis dragged them to the bottom of the ocean, all we've been doing is trying to find them. She's a really good hider for such a big fusion, though."

"...Come again?" Peridot asked. For a second, she thought she heard the child say that Jasper and Lapis fused.  
That was not possible, surely. Jasper despises fusion just as much as Homeworld does, and she knows the punishment for unauthorized fusion. And fusing with a Gem like Lapis Lazuli, who had apparently spent centuries on Earth trapped in a mirror? There's no reason Jasper would perform such a feat.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. You weren't there when it happened. Well, after you got away in your escape pod and your ship crashed, (sorry about that) Jasper made Lapis fuse with her because she couldn't beat us,  
but Lapis tricked her and trapped them both in the ocean."

"...They're fused." Peridot repeated.

"Yeah." Steven replied.

"Into Malachite."

"Yep."

"At the bottom of the ocean.

"Uh-huh."

"I see..." Peridot said. "And I assume you have no way of splitting them?"

"Well... no, but we have a lot of Gems here, and with you and Mike, I thought we could work together to split them up."

Peridot facepalmed. "Great. As if the Cluster wasn't bad enough, now you're telling me there's a fusion like Malachite lurking somewhere in the ocean, which could emerge and destroy us at any moment?!"

"...Maybe?" Steven replied, unsurely.

"Terrific. So that means we have to deal with the Cluster, Malachite, AND Hematite."  
She laughed at herself. "That's it. We're doomed. We're all dead!"

"Hey, Mike's not dangerous!" Steven cut in. "Hematite may have hurt me, but maybe he's just misunderstood.  
Like Lapis, she hurt my dad and took the ocean, but she was just misunderstood because she was hurt and confused. Maybe Hematite's confused too. Besides, if he does come back, he won't hurt anyone.  
If he tries to, then the Gems'll keep him from doing it. We don't have to worry about him!"

Peridot looked at him. For a moment, she thought he was lying to himself.  
However, it was clear he was serious. He actually looked confident that they could contain Hematite.  
...It's misplaced confidence like that, that has lead to the death of many Gems.

"Are you kidding me? Of course I have to worry about him. You're underestimating him.  
He's dangerous. And I mean DANGEROUS, Steven. He's not like other Gems. He has no morals.  
He has no leader. And he has no mercy. Jasper opted out shattering all of you when she discovered your apparent connection to Rose Quartz. However, Hematite will not, and I cannot stress this enough, NOT take any prisoners. If and when he gets the chance, he's going to make a move, and when he does,  
I can guarantee you... someone's getting shattered."

She paused. Steven appeared to be listening closely, so she continued.

"You may have a lot of Gems here, but if Hematite takes control over... Hematite, and he keeps control,  
than let me just say that in his case, quality is better than quantity. He wouldn't last in a fight with all of you by any means. Just that fusion out there alone could beat him... in a fair fight."

"What do you mean "fair fight?" Steven asked, furrowing his brow.

"What I mean Steven, is that against a superior Gem or a group of Gems, he's still a signifigant threat.  
He may not be the most strongest in combat, but he's also incredibly resourceful for a Hematite.  
It doesn't matter what type of Gem he's facing, he ALWAYS finds a way to overcome what he's up against.  
It's happened thousands of times on Homeworld, and that's not an exaggeration. I mean thousands of times.  
If there's a group of Gems, he'll find a way to isolate them. If he's up against a fusion, he always carries multiple Gem Destabilizers with him. Even now, he's out there right now, and despite if he told you otherwise, he's concealing them if he ever needs them. One jab from one, and it takes down any fusion.

It doesn't matter if it's a stab to the throat, a brutal one-sided fight, or his violent personality pretending it's the other one to lull you into a false sense of security. He is perfectly capable of shattering every single one of us. And if you think he can't... he'll always find a way."

"And that's pretty much what hotdogs are made of." Amethyst said to Mike, who was sitting on the couch next to her.

Oddly, for their first regular conversation with eachother, Amethyst decided to inform him of the contents of Earth hotdogs.

The answer made him want to throw up. He didn't think that any human food would be so disgusting.  
Amethyst however, had no problem talking about it.

"That's... I really wish you didn't tell me that. That's gross." He said.

"Yeah, it is." Amethyst chuckled. "Doesn't stop me from eating them, though."

"Seriously? Why would you eat something like that?"

"Dude, I'd drink milk after it's best before date when it's all chunky, I'm pretty sure I can hold down a hotdog."

Mike curled his upper lip. "Can we just talk about something other than what disgusting foods you like to eat? I'd rather not throw up on the floor."

"Hah, you sound just like Pearl." She joked, punching him lightly in the shoulder. "Alright, what do _you_ want to talk about?"

"I don't know. I mean, I guess I want to know what you do around here.  
It's enough that I'm living on Earth now, having to learn all these customs, but it's just as important to know what I have to DO here."

Amethyst nodded. "I gotcha. Well, all we really do is hunt Gem monsters, try not to get killed by Gems from Homeworld, which by the way is getting really annoying, and go searching for old Gem artifacts.  
Other than that, we just kinda lounge around and wait for something interesting to happen."

That sounded... easy enough, Mike thought.

"Oh. Well... what do we do until something interesting happens?" He asked.

Amethyst shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno. Anything? Don't really have any rules here, aside from the whole "other personality" thing you got going on. Just keep him away from Steven and you should be fine."

Mike nodded. That would've been simple if it wasn't for Peridot's mistake.  
He looked around for a second. The windows were still broken, so he couldn't look at his reflection.  
He was thinking that maybe after Garnet put Hematite almost through the wall, it may have fixed his eyes.  
So he turned back to Amethyst.

"Amethyst?"

"Yeah." She replied, laying back on the couch, hands behind her head.

"Do my eyes look off to you?" The Gem asked, moving his hair out of the way so she could see quickly.  
Amethyst squinted, and quickly noticed what was wrong.

"Uh, one of em's red. Does that classify as "off?" She asked.

Dissapointed, Mike laid back on the couch. He should've known that wouldn't fix it.  
This wasn't good. He knew how this was going to go. He's seen it before.  
He gets destabilized, his mind gets messed up, and his condition is slowly going to deteriorate.  
Hematite can already take control way easier than he usually can.  
And it worried him to no end. What if he took control when he and Steven were alone?

Amethyst seemed to notice his concern. He was nervously tapping his fingers together,  
and tapping his foot on the ground, which he himself didn't even seem to notice.

"Look, if this is about the whole "Hematite" thing, don't worry about it. I think the three of us are perfectly capable of putting him in the ground if he tries anything."

"I appreciate that... sort of. But I don't think you know what exactly you're dealing with."

"Trust me Mike, I know exactly what we're dealing with."

He raised an eyebrow. "You do?"

"Yeah. Some low-life punk who thinks he can go around killing people. Well I'll tell you one thing,  
if he doesn't fight as much as he runs his mouth, he's not gonna last a minute against any one of us."

Mike sighed and shook his head. Every time. Every single time he tries to talk about Hematite's dangers to a Gem, nobody listens. They just brag and brag. _"I can take him down! He's not so tough! He's just a coward hiding in your head!"_ Is what they say right before they attempt to fight him and get killed.  
He didn't want Hematite to do that again. Every single Gem or human Hematite kills, it feels like he's killing a small part of him, too.

This, however, was a group of Gems he didn't couldn't let die. It was a group of Gems he wouldn't let die.  
If Hematite wanted to get to any of them, especially Steven, he'd have to go through him first.  
...Wait... so he'd have to technically go through himself...? ...Point being, he had to make sure that Hematite stayed locked up in his mind, and especially that he doesn't get angry. If he does, his blood lust will be even stronger.

Mike opened his mouth to reply, but stopped dead when he felt something.

A rumble.

Amethyst felt it too. "Woah... is there an Earthquake?" She questioned, almost falling off her feet.  
Both Gems quickly looked towards the door. For a moment, neither knew what to think of it.  
However, a minute of thinking made them both come to the horrifying realization.

 _It wasn't an earthquake..._

 _ **...**_

 _ **Well, I think I know the word echoeing through all your heads right now; FINALLY!**_  
 _ **And if you don't know what that "earthquake" was... then find out next chapter...**_


	17. Chapter 16: The Return

_**WARNING! This chapter has light violence, so viewer discretion is advised.**_  
 _ **...I've always wanted to say that.**_

 _ **...**_

Upon realizing what was happening, Mike dashed toward the broken window and gazed out at the ocean. He saw nothing but a raging thunderstorm, as the waves crashed onto the shore violently.  
But he could tell what this meant.

"Oh, man..." Amethyst muttered, taking a step forward, also knowing that rumbling could only mean one thing.

Malachite.

Before either Gem could go inform them, Garnet and Pearl quickly entered the house from the temple,  
both of their weapons at the ready.

"Amethyst, is that rumbling what we think it is?" Pearl frantically asked the purple Gem.

"Yeah, I think so." She replied, quickly pulling her whip from her gemstone. "What're we gonna do?"

"We go out there and stop it before it can do any harm." Garnet said.

She looked to Mike, who in turn looked at her with clear worry written in his face.

"Michael, we're going to go out there and try to deal with Malachite. You go tell Steven to stay in the house no matter what happens. Then join us out there. We're going to need all the help we can get."

Mike nodded without question. While he didn't want to exclude the Gem from something important again,  
this was a situation he couldn't possibly get involved in. He may have Rose Quartz's gemstone and powers,  
but judging by what he's been told, Steven's very inexperienced. Nothing good can come from him trying to help, other than getting hurt.

The Crystal Gems quickly bolted out the door and down to the beach shore. Mike watched them go.  
Malachite. How were they supposed to deal with a fusion like that? He's never seen such a fusion before,  
but he didn't need to be told why a fusion involving a Gem like Jasper was dangerous.  
And just how big and powerful would Malachite be? Could they even damage it? What if they couldn't?

"Mike?" A worried voice called to him.

He turned around. Steven was standing behind him.

"What's going on? Is there an earthquake or something outside?" He asked with worry.

Mike kneeled down to him. He didn't want to have to tell him this, but he had no other choice.  
It was either tell him to stay inside, or risk him getting hurt.

"Steven, you need to stay inside."

"Huh?" He stepped forward. "Why? Mike, what's happening?"

Mike placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Look, I can't waste time explaining everything.  
Malachite's coming, and you need to stay inside. Just... go hide with Peridot or something, okay?"

Steven's eyes widened. "Malachite? You mean Lapis and Jasper?"

"Well, yeah, but-

"Then I need to go out there too! Lapis is my friend, I need to help her!"

"No Steven! It's too dangerous for you. Malachite would metaphorically mop the floor with you,  
you need to stay inside. If Jasper's the one in control, then she's going to go after you.  
If yo-"

The Gem was suddenly surprised when Steven pulled away from him.

"I don't wanna just stay inside! I'm a Crystal Gem too, and I'm supposed to help people and Gems who need it!  
I can't just stay here! I need to help too!"

Mike stood up. "Alright Steven, you listen to me right now. The Gems wanted you to stay inside, I want you to stay inside. None of want you to get killed, and that's exactly what's going to happen if you go out there.  
You are NOT going to risk your life for anybody!"

"YES I am!" Steven objected.

"NO you're not!" Mike objected.

"YES!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"NO!"

"MIKE!" Steven shouted. "Why won't you let me try and help you all?!"

Mike stopped at his yelling. His anger immediately turned to shock.  
He looked at Steven worringly. The child's expression went from angry to sad.

"I... I don't want to keep being left out of important things!" He clenched his fists.

"You keep doing that! When you and the Gems talked to each other, you all told me to wait outside.  
When Garnet was mad at Hematite and was going to hurt you, you told me to wait outside!  
Now Malachite's back, and now you're telling me to wait inside! I don't you to keep leaving me out of things I should be a part of! Lapis is my friend, and she fused with Jasper just to protect me.  
I'm just as important as anyone else in this situation!"

Mike looked at him. He already regretted having to tell him that. Everything he said was right.  
He was important, and they we're leaving him out still... but that doesn't mean he should include him in this situation. As much as it would hurt him, he couldn't risk him getting hurt or killed.  
He couldn't say he didn't want him hurt as much as the Crystal Gems did. They have probably known Steven since back when he was still Rose Quartz. He didn't know him as much as they did, nor could he understand the reason a Gem like Rose would decide to give birth knowing she'd cease to exist if she did.

But that didn't mean he didn't care. Steven was only the second Gem in his lifetime that hadn't treated him wrongly for being defective. Steven was as important to Mike as he was to him, and he wasn't going to do something that would surely end his life.

Without another word, Mike turned and started toward the door.

"Mike, wait!" Steven called out, rooted to the spot.

Mike opened the door, and without looking back, he spoke.

"...I'm not getting anybody else killed, Steven."

And he slammed the door before Steven could protest any further.

Outside, he stood on the porch, and slapped himself across the face.  
He made himself sick. He hated every second of that, having to tell him he couldn't help his own friend.  
But he quickly shook it off. He had to focus now.

Quickly, he pulled his black broadsword out of his gemstone, and hopped off the porch and down to the beach.  
He immediately saw Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl standing at the shore, battle stances ready.

He quickly joined up with them.

"Alright Gems, be ready for this." Garnet said. "This may be our toughest fight in a while."

"Hey Garnet..." Amethyst called out, having to raise her voice to be heard over the storm. "I'm just as eager to beat the crap out of Malachite as much as the next guy, but how the heck do you expect us to take down that thing?"

"Relax Amethyst. We'll manage." Garnet replied calmly. "Remember, Pearl managed to take out Sugilite on her own, so the three of us should be able to handle Malachite."

"How are you so calm?!" Amethyst needed to shout. It was normal for Garnet to be as stoic as it is possible,  
but considering the situation they're in, she figured she'd show a bit of urgency.  
After all, this is a fusion of two Gems that none of them have even beat in a fight before.  
Sure, Garnet kicked Jasper's butt to next week, but she was still standing even after the fight, AND being in that exploding handship with no protection.

"Pearl might have beat Sugilite, and don't get me wrong P, but unless Malachite has a giant wrecking ball we can drop on her head-

*SLAM!*

"AMETHYST!" Pearl yelled in horror.

Mike and Garnet observed the scene with shock.  
Before the purple Gem had a chance to finish her sentence, she had been crushed... by a giant green hand emerging from the ocean, a chain cuffing it's wrist.

Malachite's hand.

Said hand slowly rose up from the ground, revealing a purple gemstone lying in the sand.

"Oh, damn..." Mike said with paranoia. Malachite hadn't even fully emerged yet and she already took one of them out of commission.

"Not good...!" Garnet stated. "Gems! Be on your guard for more arms!"

As if on cue, another one of the fusion's arms rose out of the ocean, and slammed down into the sand right next to Garnet, who managed to avoid it at the last second.

Both arms dug into the Earth firmly, and where they came from in the ocean, began bubbling violently.

The three Gems stood at the ready for what was about to happen. Every one of them knew that this was a fight they could not lose with their lives intact.

The knowledge of what could happen if they failed burned in the backs of their minds as the fusion finally rose above the waves, screaming in agony as it did.

Malachite angrily lifted both arms up to her eye level. She looked at the water cuffs around her wrists,  
before yanking her arms forward, instantly disinegrating her shackles.

She was hideous, Mike thought. Her eyes, her face, her arms... everything about this fusion screamed "I'm going to kill you."

Finally free from her water prison, the fusion's attention was immediately drawn to the three Gems that stood in front of her.

"You...!" She screamed, focusing specifically on Garnet and Pearl.

Without warning, Malachite slammed both of her fists onto the ground in an attempt to crush the two Crystal Gems,  
but again she narrowly missed as both Gems jumped out of the way.

"Where do we attack!?" Pearl questioned Garnet.

The fusion didn't know the answer at first, but a quick look-over of Malachite gave only one target:

Jasper's gemstone, located in between her four eyes.

"Aim for Jasper's gemstone!" She commanded, making a dash for the raging monster fusion.

Pearl tried throwing spears at the green gemstone, but each attempt was thwarted with Malachite simply swatting away the weapons.

"You... FOOLS!" She shouted. "I'll destroy every single one of you!" She raised an arm up in the air,  
which triggered a reaction from the ocean, causing a pillar of water in the shape of a hand to rise up,  
mimicking it's master's movements.

However, before she could use it, the Gem roared in pain when it's palm was suddenly impaled.  
Angered even further, Malachite gazed at her hand, where a black broadsword now lay.

She looked down, and saw Mike, another sword grasped tightly in his hand.  
He slumped it over his shoulder, and signaled for Malachite to come at him.

Happy to oblige, she turned her focus to him, and raised up another hand of water from the ocean,  
and sent it straight at him, who quickly avoided it.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Garnet raised her own arm up, aimed directly for Malachite's nose gem,  
and fired her gauntlet, landing a direct hit.

Recoiling in annoyance, Malachite looked back to the other two Gems, but only for a moment.  
The hand Mike stabbed before was now resting on the ground, the sword having vanished, but he quickly fixed that with another stab to the raging fusion's hand.

While Malachite swatted at the black clad Gem, Garnet took the opportunity to fire both of her gauntlets this time,  
both landing direct hits.

Pearl quickly followed behind, throwing spear after spear at Malachite, most of them hitting her gemstone, whilst others harmlessly flew into the ocean behind her.

"Grr... I'm... going... to... KILL YOU ALL!" Malachite screamed at the top of her lungs, before raising up two arms from the ocean, and sending them both crashing down to the beach, managing to snag Pearl in the current,  
sending her crashing into a nearby rock, banging the back of her head.

Pearl slowly got up on one knee, rubbing her bruised hand.

"Pearl, look out!" Mike shouted, unfortunately too late.

Before any of them could prevent it, Pearl was crushed under Malachite's massive fist just as she did with Amethyst.  
She took her hand out of the sand, showing that Pearl had also poofed.

Now it was just him And Garnet.

Malachite seemed pleased by this. She conjured three more hands from the ocean, now laughing at the last two Gems, and sent the water in both directions.

Mike managed to dodge it once more, and Garnet dodged the second one, but the third managed to send the Gem flying into a wall.

Malachite quickly took the opportunity and grabbed the smaller fusion in hand.  
Without hesitation, she took her other hand and raised it into the air.

Mike attempted to assist Garnet, but Malachite merely swatted him away.

She opened her palm, releasing the tight grip on Garnet's body. However, that relief would be short lived as she proceeded to squash the fusion inbetween her two hands brutally.

When she took her hands apart, all that was left was a red gemstone and blue gemstone.

All Crystal Gems having been taken care of, Malachite turned her complete attention on Mike.  
The Gem watched in fear as Malachite slowly approached him, malice in her eyes.

She just took out all the Crystal Gems with no effort. All three of them, just gone.  
And now he was all that remained there.

Malachite reached him.

As she looked down on him, he shut his eyes and looked away. This was it, he thought. He was going to be turned into Gem paste, and then she was going to probably burn what was left of his gemstone.

"...Hematite." The fusion said in a very familiar voice.

Surprised, he looked back up at her. "J...Jasper?" He said back. By no means was he relieved to hear her voice, but he couldn't help but be curious.

"You... you're... HELPING those traitors?!" She spat. "Do you know what they are, Hematite?! What are you even doing here?!"

Unnerved to no end, Mike slowly got to his feet and held his hands up defensively.

"Now Jasper... you need to calm down. I know what's going on with you and Lapis Lazuli, and I know that you're not thinking straight.  
You need to unfuse with her before someone gets hurt."

Jasper laughed cruely in her fusion body. "Someone gets hurt? Who? All of the worthless humans and traitor Gems that I just squashed? What do you care about them?!"

Mike nervously took a deep breath. He couldn't end up saying the wrong thing here, or he would get his gem split.

"Jasper... that's... not what I meant. I mean before you destroy this planet with you, me and Peridot on it." He lied.

"Oh, believe me... I utterly DESPISE the fact that I'm fused right now. And rest assured, I'm unfusing as soon as I can and then I'm going to shatter Lazuli's gem with my own bare hands... but NOT until I find Rose Quartz and shatter her first! You understand the weight of her heresy, don't you?!"

"... I... do? But Jasper, look at what you're doing. You're fused. You HATE fusions just as much as the rest of Homeworld.  
Do you have any idea what they'll do if they find out you fused?"

"Bah. Enough of your blabbering, you..."

She stopped and clutched her head in pain.

"NO! I'm in control now, Lazuli! You've kept me imprisoned for far too long!" She seemingly yelled at herself.  
It seemed like Lapis was attempting to regain control of the fusion.  
It was actually very unsettling... the way they fought for control reminded Mike of him and Hematite.

"Grr..." Jasper growled, before speaking to him again.

"Alright, enough of this. Tell me right now Hematite, why were you HELPING those traitors?! Surely you're aware they're Crystal Gems, you fool!" She berated the Gem.

"Because, Jasper! They helped me when I came looking for Peridot, Lapis Lazuli and your sorry excuse for a Gem!  
Other than when they put me through a table, they treated me with respect that I'd never get from you or Homeworld!"

"WHAT!? You're WILLINGLY working with Rose Quartz's army?!"

Instantaneosly, Mike regretted saying that. He forgot that he was talking to a giant fusion that can whoop him.

"Now Jasper..." He pleaded. "Just calm down, you're not thinking straight, you've been trapped in the ocean for a while..."

"SHUT UP!" The fusion screamed at the Gem, silencing him. "You're telling me that you came here to recover us and just went turncoat because they gave you respect? Hah, a deformed monstrosity like you doesn't need, nor does he deserve respect! I don't know why Yellow Diamond chose to send you instead of a capable Gem, but it seems like your defectiveness has caught up with you, finally... no matter. I have no problem with shattering another mentally-ill Gem like yourself..."

Mike clenched his teeth and his fists. He was tired of hearing this.

"You know what, Jasper?! You can go fu-

Before he could even finish his retort, Malachite sent him flying into a nearby rock, splintering it in two.  
Mike lay there with shock in his face. It felt like he just got punched by a mountain into another mountain.  
Weakly, he pushed himself up and looked at Malachite again. She looked fully intent on destroying him now.  
Quicker than he could say, "Oh god, please don't kill me you psycho," Malachite had already formed another arm of water.

He didn't even have the strength to avoid it after Malachite put him through a giant rock.  
The water simply sent him flying even further away, into another rock.

"GUH...!" He grunted, hitting the back of his head on this rock, cracking it.  
Thankfully, his gem wasn't cracked.

However, when he saw Malachite quickly approaching, he quickly realized that his leg had been pinned under a huge piece of the rock.

When Malachite reached him, she didn't say a word. She simply raised both of her fists high into the air.  
Mike tried desperately to lift himself up, but couldn't. He was too weakened from being put through two rocks by the fusion, and he could get his leg free.

He simply did what he did before. He shut his eyes, and looked away, this time knowing that Jasper wasn't going to stop.  
He failed. His first time trying to help the Crystal Gems, and he blew it. And now he was going to die.

"LAPIS!"

Malachite froze.

Mike opened his eyes again.

Malachite's face instantly turned from anger to surprise. "S-S...St-Steven...?" Malachite managed to utter in a softer voice than she previously used.

Mike saw what caused her attitude change. It was Steven.

Malachite fully turned around to the Gem-child.

"S-Steven...?" She uttered a second time.

"Lapis please, you need to stop this!" Steven pleaded. "You need to unfuse!"

Malachite shook her head. "Steven... I... NO!" Her mood suddenly changed. "NO, YOU'RE NOT TAKING CONTROL AGAIN!"

The monster fusion clutched it's head in agony and staggered a bit.  
The two Gems that formed Malachite were now fighting for control, causing the Gem's face to monstrously distort.  
Steven watched in horror at Malachite's breakdown. Both Gems were fighting as hard as they could for control,  
and it was clear that if they didn't unfuse immediately, Beach City was doomed.

The Crystal Gem's attention turned to Mike, who had managed to crawl his way out of the rubble, and was kneeling on the ground, healing his wounds quickly.

"Mike! You've got to do something!" Steven had to yell over the sound of Malachite's yells.

Mike looked at him. He was snarling in anger, his left red eye twitching uncontrollably.  
He wasn't looking at Mike anymore.

He looked at Malachite, who was growling and clutching her head with one hand, Lapis and Jasper's mental dispute keeping her from focusing.

Taking the opening, Hematite yanked a sword violently from his gemstone.  
He was aiming for Jasper's gemstone. He didn't care if it shattered and killed her, and he didn't care if it killed Lapis. He was done with this fusion, and either way, he was going to make sure that it never formed again, for his sake.

Using all the strength in both arms, he threw his sword in the style of a boomerang, the spinning blade landing a direct hit on Malachite's face gem.

She roared in pain and held her gemstone for a moment. It wasn't broken.  
Her head snapped toward Hematite, who unlike his kind counterpart, stood without fear or care. Or mercy.  
Before Malachite had the chance to do anything, Hematite threw another sword into her nose-gem. It stayed intact.  
He threw another sword. And another, and another, and another.

Malachite still stood unfortunately, her gemstone still not even cracked.

Now it was Hematite's turn to growl. "Why... won't... you... DIE!?" He screamed, throwing his sword down onto the ground.  
He was finished with trying to make it easier on her. It was time for him to use his secret weapon.

He snapped his head to Steven, who was completely speechless. "YOU! Keep her distracted! I'm ending this!" He commanded to the young Gem, who obeyed, not wanting to anger any more violent Gems.

"L-Lapis!" He yelled to Malachite once more, which regained her attention immediately.

"Please stop it! You have to keep fighting Jasper! Don't let her control you!"

Malachite pounded her fist into the ground. "Nuh... no, I can't, Steven! She's t... too strong...!"

While the two were distracted with their living soap opera, Hematite closed his eyes and concentrated hard.  
He raised both of his hands to his gemstone, which began to glow faintly.

"I... I used all of my strength to keep us locked away!" Malachite yelled in Lapis's voice. "I can barely keep control now!"

"You have to try harder, Lapis!" Steven pleaded. "We're all doomed if she gets full control of Malachite again!"

Hematite channeled all of his body's energy into his gemstone, the black rock glowing brighter and brighter with a bright white aura, forming a white ball of energy with it. His muscles tensed, as did his mind.

Steven carefully took a step towards Lapis's monstrous form.

"Please Lapis! Just try! You can beat her! I believe you!"

"NO!" Malachite slammed her fist down. "Enough of your pointless blabbering, Rose!"

Steven stepped back again. "J-Jasper?"

"SHUT UP! I'm through playing around, you heretic! Now DIE!"

"JASPER!"

Malachite whipped around again to the Gem. "You can't distract me anymore, Hematite! I know what you're plan is, you-

She froze.

Hematite stood ten feet from her, an insane toothy grin on his face.  
In his hands, right in front of his gemstone, was a huge ball of energy.

"BELIEVE THIS!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

The black Gem unleashed his energy ball into one HUGE white beam which set a crash course directly for Malachite.  
Before she even got a chance to raise her arm, the beam connected with the fusion's entire body.

"AAAAAAAAAHRRRGGGHH!" Malachite let out an ear-piercing screech, loud enough that Steven needed to cover his ears so they wouldn't get damaged.

The beam dissapated.

Hematite fell to his knees, severly weakened from the stress of the blast.  
He slowly looked up.

No Malachite in sight. Instead, while he couldn't see any gemstones through the dust, Malachite had been split.  
Letting out a huge sigh of relief, he let himself fall fully to the ground, and covered his face with both hands.  
He literally had no energy left to stand, let alone go to pick up Jasper's gemstone and bubble it.

"...Hematite?" Steven said, having approached the grounded Gem.

He shook his head, and removed his hands. "No... no, it's... Mike now, Steven..." He replied to the boy,  
his words slow and far apart.

"What was that? You never told me you could do that before! It was awesome!" Steven exclaimed.

"Well... glad you enjoyed it... that wa... was the most powerful attack I have... I didn't think Hematite was crazy enough to use it... takes all of the energy out of me..." He muttered, trying to catch his breath.

There was silence for a moment.

"Did I... poof Jasper?" He asked.

Steven nodded. "I think so. There's still lots of dust around from when Malachite fell, but I don't see anyone."

Mike nodded in return. "...Good... alright, I guess I'll... get up..." He said with exhaustion.

He weakly rolled onto his front, and planted his hands into the sand, and pushed himself up.  
It took him a few tries, but he managed to barely get back to his feet.

"I usually go into my Gem when I use that technique... but we'd better get everyone else's gems first..."  
While there was no way Jasper's body could've stayed intact after that, it was safer to bubble it before she reformed anyway. Otherwise, all of it would have been for nothing.

"Can we look for Lapis' gem first?" Steven asked worringly. "I watched from up there, and I didn't see any of the Gem's gems get cracked. I wanna know if she's okay..."

Mike patted Steven on the shoulder slowly, before they started their search. "Sure, buddy... after all... I'd be dead if you didn't step in."

"I didn't know if I should've at first." He said. "But when I saw you all getting poofed..."

"No... I get it. It was actually good that you... didn't listen to us. If you did, well... we may not-

"Wait!" Steven blurted out. "I see a sparkle!"

Mike looked where Steven was looking. Indeed, he saw a shine coming from the sand a few feet from them.

"Wait here, Steven..." Mike said. "Just in case."

Mike limped over to the source of the sparkling. He stumbled on his way, but got back up.  
He kneeled down on the ground, which addmitingly hurt him a bit, and brushed away the sand.  
To his relief, it turned out to be the Gem of Lapis, completely unharmed.

However, that relief was soon completely washed away when he picked up the blue gemstone.

MIKE, LOOK OUT!" Steven shouted to him.

Mike turned around to face Steven, but the only thing he got was a fist to the head that felt like a bullet,  
sending him a few feet away, and dropping Lapis' gemstone.

"That was a nice trick, Hematite. But haven't you forgotten one thing?" A tired and angry, yet smug voice called out through the dust.

Mike's eyes widened. He tried to quickly stand up, but all the Gem could manage was pushing himself onto one knee.

The figure that spoke to him soon emerged from the cloudy dust, revealing none other than a battered Jasper,  
firmly grasping a struggling Steven.

"No...!" Mike gasped in utter disbelief.

Jasper took steps forward, dragging Steven with her. "You're deformed, and that makes you weak... or did your short-term memory make you forget that again?"

Mike said nothing. He couldn't. He was too shocked that Jasper hadn't retreated to her Gemstone from his attack. Sure, she was MUCH more powerful than he was, but that attack was supposed to be able to destabilize Gems! Yet here she was, only looking a little exerted, squeezing the circulation out of Steven's arm and looking ready to crush both of them.

"No... how are... how are you still standing!?" Mike pounded his fist into the sand.

Jasper scoffed. "Your fancy little beam attack may have been enough to unfuse Malachite and destabilize Lapis, but you seem to forget that I'm more powerful than any weak attack you can squeeze out of yourself. Look at you, you can barely even stand! It's surprising enough that you can even maintain your body right now!"

"Don't hurt him, Jasper!" Steven pleaded with the big Gem, only to get a harsh yank for speaking.

"Quiet. Before I rip it out." She harshly rebuffed.

She looked at both of the Gems with disgust.

"The two of you are pathetic." She glared at Mike. "You're supposed to be a warrior, but instead you're a handicapped abomination that can't even control his own emotions."

She jerked Steven's arm again, sending a jolt of pain through it. "And you. You're supposed to be a Gem of grace.  
A powerful leader that lead a rebellion against Homeworld and lived to tell the tale. Yet instead you're a shell of exactly that. Instead you choose to hide behind the weak remnants of your army and can't even raise a fist to me." She narrowed her eyes. "Tell me. Why have you chosen to take on such a powerless form?"

She jerked his arm again. "Answer me!"

"Jasper!" Mike shouted before the child could answer.

Growling, Jasper looked at him.

He managed to get back on two feet, but was still clearly weak.

"That's not Rose Quartz, that's her son, Steven! So put him down!"

"...? Son? Hah, do you really expect me to believe such nonsense?!" She jerked Steven into the air.

"You've obviously seen the Gemstone! This IS Rose Quartz. She's just using a human form to try and hide herself!  
Even if this is some sort of sick offspring, he still bears her gemstone. Therefore, it must be put down!"

Mike ignored the Homeworld Gem's insistence, and narrowed his eyes. "Just put him down, Jasper. Nobody needs to get hurt here."

As if that triggered a nerv, Jasper narrowed her own eyes at the black Gem.  
Without warning, she bashed her head against Steven's, knocking the young Gem out cold.

"Steven!" Mike yelled, taking a step forward, only for his leg to give out and he fell to his knees.

Jasper dropped him to the ground.

"You're a fool for trying to save this traitor, Hematite." Jasper boasted. "And what you can't seem to get through your thick skull is that you can't; you're not going to save this abomination. You can't.  
And if you keep trying to convice me to back off, then I have absolutely NO problem with shattering your gem and using it to power a warship so I can leave this wretched rock. Hematite, if you don't stand down,  
then I will kill you."

Mike didn't reply. He just stood to his feet, firming his stance. He wasn't going to back down.

Jasper chuckled smugly. "So... you're going to fight me, huh? Fine... I have no problem with breaking every part of your body. But I can tell that you don't want to die, Hematite. I can see it in your eyes.  
I've seen that look one too many times. I can tell you're afraid."

Mike was sweating now, but he didn't stand down. Jasper was right, he was afraid. But he wasn't going to give up. Never.

"Hematite, I'm going to give you one last chance. Stand down and surrender, and I might make your death quick and painless. But if you really insist on protecting these traitors, then I'm going to not only make it slow and painful, but I'm going to make you watch me crush every one of these Gems that lay here.  
So, will you do this the hard way? Or do you want to make it easier for yourself...?"

With a spiteful scowl for an expression, Mike slowly shook his head.

"I'm not letting you hurt anyone else, you monster." He uttered lowly.

Jasper growled. "...Fine. Yellow Diamond will be happy to hear that you died by my hand.  
What's one lowly defective Hematite to Homeworld, anyway?! You probably don't even know the truth about why Homeworld kept you alive in the first place!"

Mike couldn't hear another word of her mockery.

He took a step forward yet again, this time managing to stay firmly on both feet.

"You know what, Jasper!?" He said, voice notably shaky. "I am _sick_ and _tired_ of everybody thinking I'm useless because I'm what you and Homeworld call "defective!"

He was shouting now. He took weak steps towards the hulking Gem with each sentence.

"The ones who don't look the way they should, the ones who don't have the skin color they should, the ones who have mental disabilities! The ones who don't want to be a part of the cult of personality that is the Gem Homeworld!  
You treat them all like they have a weakness. The ones who have emotion for living thing other than themselves!  
The ones who care about other planets and their inhabitants! The ones that care about this planet that we're standing on right now! Homeworld executes them as an example to other Gems to show them what'll happen if they so much as feel a little bit of sympathy for others, the ones who can have their own thoughts and emotions!"

"Shut up! You know nothing of Homeworld's methods! Jasper snapped. "They did it for their own good!"

"Don't lie to me Jasper! You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. You were there on Homeworld before the first war, hell, you were there way longer than me! And you know just as much as me that back then Gems could be their own Gems! They weren't brainwashed and forced to have the same cold, heartless demeanor that the Diamond Authority had!"

"I said shut UP! You know they only started doing it so another rebellion wouldn't be possible! That war killed millions of Gems, and it took centuries to restore the lost numbers! You know we couldn't risk that!"

"YES, you could! Maybe if Homeworld would stop trying to destroy Earth, or use it as test grounds for your god-awful fusion experiments! How could you be okay with something so horrible? Turning innocent Gems into those grotesque mutants?! How can-

He was firmly backhanded by Jasper.

 _"ENOUGH!_ You have no idea what you're saying right now, you worm! There's something about the cluster that Homeworld never told you, did they? If you knew what it was, that knowledge would destroy you.  
And snapping your sanity would be something I'd LOVE to do before I kill you, so I'd have no remorse for telling you. What Homeworld never told you, what Yellow Diamond never told you, is-

 _ **WHAM!**_

Jasper was abrubtly cut off by a hard kick to the gut from Mike.  
He knew that it was a practically suicidal move, but he didn't care. He was finished with all of their lies.  
He was finished with being insulted for his disabilities, and he was finished with Jasper and Homeworld.  
His patience was absolutely broken, and his line had been crossed at least ten times already.

"I don't CARE about what you have to tell me, you liar! I know enough about the cluster already.  
I know it's made up of defects and remnants of Rose Quartz's Gem army, and that's all there is to it!  
I don't need your lies and **_I DON'T NEED YOU!"_**

And that did it.

Without another word, Jasper sucker-punched the Gem in the stomach, sending him flying into a nearby rock wall.  
When Mike landed on the ground, she didn't even give him a chance. She grabbed him by the leg and swung him right back into the wall. She didn't let go. She swung him into the ground, getting sand in his eyes and nose in the process.

But he didn't retreat to his Gem. If he did, it was over. She would take Steven and the Gems back to Homeworld,  
and they'd all be executed. He couldn't let that happen. None of them deserved to die for being the few Gems left from that generation that cared for Earth. They couldn't die. If they did, then the Earth would be doomed. He couldn't give up now.

Jasper pinned him down with one foot, crushing his chest. And when she did, there was a very audible crack.  
She punched him in the face with her rock-hard fist.  
Blood spewed from his mouth and cheek as she did, leaving a huge bruise on his cheek, and blood splattered onto her hand.

She punched the Gem again, rewarding her with more blood covering her hand.  
She punched him again, and again, and again, and again, each punch more hard and brutal than the last.

Mike lay there, motionless. He didn't move, he didn't speak. Jasper would've thought she killed him, had he retreated to his Gem. But he still wouldn't.

Growling, Jasper grabbed the incapacitated Gem and lifted him above her head with both hands.  
He didn't react. He didn't move. But he didn't retreat.

"WHY... WON'T... YOU... **_DIE!?"_ ** Jasper yelled to the heavens, before swinging the Gem down, brutally snapping his back over her knee, the Gem's body bending back way more than it should be able to without shape-shifting.

With a thud that could be heard throughout the entire town, Mike landed on the ground.  
Blood came out of his mouth, blood came out of his cheek, his right eye was swollen and couldn't open...  
And his Gem was cracked.

Jasper clentched her fist. One punch to his gemstone, and he'd be finished, she thought. He had to die then.  
He couldn't survive a shattered gemstone.

Mike couldn't defend himself. He literally could not move a single muscle anymore. His energy has been all used up trying not to retreat to his gem. But in doing so, he prevented himself from being able to fight back.  
The only thing he could do was open his good eye, which twitched and continuously switched from hazel to red.

He looked up at Jasper, ready to deliver one final punch that would finish him off.  
She wasn't going to hold back. She wasn't going to spare his life. He was finished.

He closed his eye. It hurt to keep it open. He couldn't feel any part of his body. He felt paralyzed.  
He couldn't even feel his broken gemstone. He didn't even know it was cracked. He couldn't feel it.  
He could barely hear anything, either. His senses were as numbed as his body was.

The Gem waited for the impact. He waited for Jasper to end him. He waited for his defiance to come and slap him right in the face.

...He heard a thud. He felt no impact on his gem.  
Mike opened his eye slowly. His vison was blurred, barely able to make out his surroundings.  
But what he did notice, was a small orange gemstone laying in the sand next to him.

Jasper's gemstone.

His eye widened with surprise, which hurt. Jasper was one second away from killing him, yet there her gem was,  
laying harmlessly in the sand.

And suddenly, someone's feet stepped into his view.  
He looked up slowly to the figure before him. Standing over him, Gem destabilizer in hand...

It wasn't Steven. It wasn't Lapis Lazuli. It wasn't Garnet. It wasn't Pearl, and it wasn't Amethyst.

It was Peridot.

She got down on one knee, placing the destabilizer on the ground, and observed the beaten and battered Gem.  
Bloodied face, broken back, cracked gemstone and all, still laying in the sand, his body still there.  
She lifted his head up and observed the damage some more.

Not knowing what else to say, the Homeworld Gem shook her head and spoke.

 _"You always have to mess things up, don't you?"_

And that's when Mike blacked out.

 _ **...**_

 _ **Well, that was violent! I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!**_  
 _ **Leave a review and let me know what you think! They're appreciated!**_  
 _ **And as for Mike... he's not looking too good, is he?**_

 _ **See you guys all next chapter!**_


	18. Chapter 17: Crystal Clear

**_HEY THERE! Remember me? Of course you don't! So yeah, the hiatus is over, and I'm back! (Kinda like actual SU hiatusus)_**  
 ** _Sorry for the extremely long wait, but I hope you enjoy!_**  
 ** _JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE, considering everything up to this point has been tough sh!t going on for all the Gems,_**  
 ** _the next few chapters will be dying down for a while, but that doesn't mean you won't like them!_**  
 ** _(P.S, Amethyst is going to be getting A LOT of screen time after this, ;)_**

 ** _..._**

Mike opened his eyes weakly. The Gem couldn't move.  
He observed his surroundings, which proved pointless, as the room he was now contained in was pitch black.  
But he didn't need to see to know that his arms were restrained by what he could tell was Gem technology.

He didn't know what was happening. The last thing he saw was Peridot standing over his beaten body, having poofed Jasper with a Gem Destabilizer. But now here he was, locked up with machinery not even available to humans.  
He jerked an arm forward, but couldn't; it was locked tightly in place.

Before the Gem could comprehend what was happening, a door he didn't see before opened, and the dark room was suddenly flooded in an eerie yellow glow.

Mike felt like he needed to shield his eyes from the light, but obviously couldn't, and only watched the figure enter the room.  
He already knew who it was when he saw the yellow glow. It was unmistakable. Infamous. Iconic.

It was Yellow Diamond.

His Gem blood went ice cold. He could not understand how this was happening. Had Yellow Diamond captured him after he retreated to his Gem? Had Peridot... sold him and the Crystal Gems out? Was he locked up here to recieve deadly and horrific torture for his treason? Was everyone else, including Steven, also locked up to be punished.

All those thoughts swirled around in his mind like a whirlpool. He couldn't focus on one thing at a time. His mind kept jumping from one thought to another. He couldn't put together what was happening to him right now.  
His former leader took slow, ominous steps toward the defenseless Gem. Mike couldn't help but cower a little.

He had the bravery to stand up to her days before, but he couldn't imagine what she was going to do to him now that they were face-to-face.

Yellow Diamond approached him. She stood much taller than him, and the shine from her yellow skin and Gemstone cast over him a sea of yellow light.

Her face however, was still shrouded in shadow. Some of her features could still be made out however, such as her eyes,  
which peirced through his skull. It was painful to just make contact with them.

Without warning, Yellow Diamond delivered a nasty backhand to the restrained Gem, which was enough to send him to his knees, had his restraints not been holding him up. And there was a big, blue bruise left on his stinging cheek.

Appearing to relish in his pain, Yellow Diamond placed a hand gently under his chin and lifted his head up,  
the two meeting eye-to-eye again.

"I am very dissapointed in you, Hematite." She said in a low, quiet voice.

Mike didn't reply. He was scared of what would happen if he did. It didn't matter if Yellow Diamond was blind, deaf,  
and missing an arm, she could easily blow his Gem to pieces with one touch.

The yellow Gem overlord leaned in closer. "All of my Gems serve a purpose, you know that. And you are one of my Gems,  
aren't you? If that is the case, which it is, then why do you insist on disobeying me?"

Her voice was scary. She was clearly angry, and was holding it in just fine, but he could still sense the thick lining of detest in her vocals. He wanted to cover his ears, but still couldn't move his arms.

"I gave you a purpose. To serve under me. To help our kind develop and evolve, like all Gems before you.  
I even put enough faith in you that I thought you could handle a simple mission: recover a few lost Gems.  
And how do you repay me? By taking my trust, and throwing it back in my face.  
By socializing with humans, the very reason for the war that severly diminished our race, that brainwashed one of our best and most reliable Gems, Rose Quartz? It makes me sick just to look at you."

Yellow Diamond let Mike's head fall. But he could still see her in the corner of his eye.

"And now... it seems your defectiveness has finally caught up to you..." Yellow Diamond looked down to his Gemstone,  
which reflected her yellow glow off it. It still had a big crack on it.

"...There are things that you have yet to realize about yourself, Hematite. Things that may break the final thread that holds your mind together. Things that would make you feel disgusted just for your own existence."

"...You're lying..." Was all Mike said, before being rewarded with another harsh backhand.

"Don't speak unless I tell you to, worm." Yellow Diamond reprimanded the Gem calmly.

At the risk of being struck again, Mike decided to remain silent.

"Those are things that you will learn of in due time. I'm sure that Jasper would be happy to share with you."

Mike wanted to strike her so bad. She was saying the same words that Jasper was saying. About there being things he didn't know about himself. That had to be lies, surely. Methods to get inside his head. But even if his arms were free, all he would get would be a broken arm... and leg... and skull... and gemstone.

"However... there is one piece of information I think is neccessary to share with you right now. I'm sure your wondering,  
just how are we speaking right now?"

Mike raised his head, an eyebrow raised.

Yellow Diamond smirked. "Ah, so now I have your attention? Good."

The tyrant placed her arms behind her back and walked away.

"Very well. You see Hematite... there is this procedure that certain Gems go through. I'm sure you're aware that not all Gems are, how you say... not as trustworthy as others? Gems like... you. Defects. I'm sure you know what that's like.  
Having these crazy thoughts, that you think you can just make any insane decision you want?

Coming to Earth on an assignment, only to decide you want to remain there? That is the kind of decision a perfect Gem would never make. It's a mistake. So it became customary to go through with a special procedure on defective Gems at birth. You see, our conversation right now... it's all in your mind."

Mike was slightly intriqued now. He watched Yellow Diamond wander the room, explaining the situation.

"I will put this as simply as I can, Hematite. While your gemstone grew in the Earth's Kindergarten, you were programmed."

Mike opened his mouth to speak, but Yellow Diamond quickly clamped a hand over his mouth tightly.

"What did I say about speaking? Listen to me, and remain silent. Or else."  
She removed her hand.

"Hematite, I haven't spent much time on Earth. But I do know some information on their technology from Gems who have gone undercover there over the years. The most advanced thing they seem to have is their "computers."  
Machines that... are similar to Gems in a way. They can be broken... they can glitch... and they can be programmed.  
They can be taken over by others. And that... is precisely what you are. A program. That I can insert myself into."

Mike was listening intently. He wanted to believe that was a lie, but... how else could they be talking? Why else would Yellow Diamond say this? But it couldn't be true... could it?

"I never thought I would need to have this form of conversation with you. And don't expect me to often.  
It honestly disgusts me to be inside your head, but as you can tell, I had no other way to speak with you.  
You may have guessed it by now, but in case you're feeble mind can't comprehend it, I'll tell you.  
I made it so that I can speak with you telepathically. Homeworld is a very advanced place, as you know. "

Yellow Diamond clentched her fist tightly. "And one last thing, Hematite. I know you want to be out of this little meeting of ours. I know you want to forget about this completely like it never happened, and most of all... I know you are praying that we will never meet face to face ever again."  
The Gem tyrant raised her fist high.

"But I think we both know it's only a matter of time before I find you. After all, I have billions of Gems to assist me.  
I have an entire race behind me. And all you have are petty humans. It's all a matter of finding out just where on that little blue planet you are hiding. And when I do inevitably find you, well... I won't spoil it. But I can assure you,  
with all my heart, that when I find Peridot, Lapis Lazuli, and that human child you refused to kill... I will kill them all myself."

Not a single word after that. With those chilling words in his mind, Mike's former leader swung her fist directly into his gemstone, completely shattering it.

"AAAAAAHHH!" Mike shot up from where he was laying, screaming his head off.  
When he finished screaming, he quickly put both hands over his gemstone. It was still cracked, unfortunately, but it was at least still intact.

Mike was breathing heavily. He looked at his surroundings, and couldn't have been more relieved to see that he was rested on Steven's bed, in the beach house.

His breathing slowed, and he quickly relaxed a little bit.  
Yellow Diamond... was what she said true?

The Gem placed both hands over his face and leaned back on the wall behind him.  
Amazing. Terrific. Now not only was his gem cracked, with no way to heal it, but now Yellow Diamond tells him she's in his head? And she can talk to him?  
Great. Even on Earth, he's used as a doormat for Homeworld Gems.

Before he could continue on with reasons his life is currently terrible however, Mike's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Mike...?"

Mike removed his hands at the sound of the voice. He immediately saw him. Standing at the top of the stairs just a few feet away from him, stood Steven, completely unharmed, aside from a bruised eye.

They both shared the same mixed look of concern and relief on their faces, both relieved to see the other okay.  
There was a moment of silence as the two stared at each other.

Mike couldn't have been more relieved. He almost thought Peridot would've taken the chance and contained all of their Gems to turn in to Homeworld in hopes of not being shattered.  
Thankfully, thankfully, he was wrong. Here he and Steven were, totally fine... well, not him, but still.

Mike slid himself off of Steven's bed and wrapped his arms around the boy, who returned the gesture happily.  
The two Gems embraced for a moment before Steven spoke again.

"I was really worried about you... Peridot said you and Jasper fought, and then she saved you. She said you were alright,  
but she wouldn't let me see you when you were poofed... are you alright?"

Mike didn't answer for a moment.

"She... didn't tell you?" He asked after some more silence.  
Why wouldn't Peridot tell him about his gem? It's broken, so shouldn't Steven know about that...?  
But then again... his healing powers didn't work anymore, so it's not like he could heal it anyway.  
Maybe she just didn't want to stir up more drama?

"Tell me what? Did something bad happen to you?" Steven asked with concern.

He definitely didn't know.  
Should he tell him? If his gemstone was cracked, that doesn't seem like a good idea to keep to himself...  
But... they finally unfused Malachite and recovered Lapis and Jasper. As far as he knew, everything was fine now.  
If he told him his gemstone was broken in the fight, that would only give him a reason to worry, since they clearly don't have any other methods of healing it. Steven would've mentioned something like that earlier.

He couldn't tell him. It felt like everyone here has been on edge since they captured Peridot.  
He didn't want them to feel more worried about the fact that he was at risk of dying.  
There had to be some other method to fix his gem. Maybe there was something on his Gem Warship?

...Oh yeah. He has a Gem Warship. He forgot about that. He should probably get that at some point...

"Mike?" Steven pulled the Gem out of his wandering thoughts quickly.

"Huh? Oh! Oh, yeah yeah, I'm fine, Steven. Jasper hurt me, but I reformed. I'm fine now. Don't worry." He replied reassuredly, pulling away from him.

Before the child could catch a glimpse of his broken gemstone, Mike quickly zipped up his hoodie.

"It's kind of cold in here." He told him, justifying the action.

"...But it's summer." Steven replied.

"...I'm hot, then."

"Then why don't you take your hoodie off?"

Mike scratched his head. "...That's a very good question, Steven... anyways, have the others reformed yet?" He asked,  
trying to switch topics.

"Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst did. They're putting Jasper in the burning room... but Lapis, she hasn't reformed yet."

With that, Steven pulled from his pocket a small azure gemstone in the shape of a raindrop... or a tear. Mike looked at her gemstone. It's shade of blue matched the ocean so perfectly he would've thought that Steven was just holding water in his hand.

But when he looked at the blue gem... he got this strange feeling of sadness. Just it's aura, it seemed... sad.

"Could I see her for a second?" Mike asked.

Steven obliged, and held the blue gem out to him. "Okay. Just don't drop her."

Mike took the stone. There was still a little bit of sand on it from on the beach.  
Using his sleeve, he gently polished the stone and wiped the sand off it.  
He looked deeply into the gemstone, feeling a little bit of regret.

He interrogated her. She was lost, scared, and confused when she found Homeworld the way it was, and all he did was ask her questions she didn't want to answer.  
And Homeworld couldn't even have bothered to tell her about how it's changed. They just imprisoned her and forced her into the custody of a Gem that probably verbally abused her. Maybe even physically...

He felt bad just for looking her in the face. The entire interrogation progress was uncomfortable with him.  
He didn't abuse her in any way, but every question he asked her, the worse he felt...

"What were you doing on Earth all these centuries?"

"...Why are you questioning me like I'm a criminal...?

Every sentence she spoke, she sounded tired. Exhausted. He was grateful he wasn't being forced by someone to resort to... physical methods of obtaining information. He wouldn't have been able to handle hurting someone like her.

"...The Gems don't know what to do with her..."

"Huh?" Mike asked, having been brought back to the real world for a second time.

"Lapis. The Gems want to talk about what we're going to do with her when they get back... I'm worried. What if they want to bubble her too?"

"Why would they want to bubble her? Didn't she save you?"

"Yeah, but that's the problem. She saved me. She only cares about me. She stole the ocean, hurt my dad and destroyed his van, and almost drowned me and my friend, Connie. They think she's still dangerous."

"...Wow." Was all Mike said, which made Steven look more worried.

"Uh... I mean... don't worry about it, Steven. Think of it this way; Peridot tried to kill you WAY more many times than Lapis, and they're still letting her stay. And they're still letting me stay, even though Hematite is crazy enough to light a match at a gas station that's heavily populated with cars."

"Yeah... yeah, I guess you're right. Maybe they'll let her stay too. They have too!"

"Exactly. Now, where's Peridot?"

Steven pointed downstairs. "Sitting on the couch. The Gems want her opinion of Lapis since they were together when they came here."

Mike stood up, and handed Lapis's gemstone back to Steven. "reh htiw smeG eht rof tiaw llew sa thgiM..."  
Mike covered his mouth with his hand. He just spoke backward. His broken gem must be distorting his speech...

"Mike? Are... you sure you're okay?" Steven asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Morty." He replied.

"...Steven."

"Right, right, sorry." Mike said. This wasn't good. His gem was already affecting his memory AND speech.  
That wasn't good at all... no, actually, it's okay. He could handle a little memory loss. It's not the end of the world.  
...Aaand now he forgot what green is.

Mike hurryingly rushed down the stairs to the first floor.  
Peridot was indeed sitting on the couch, and appeared to be fiddling with her screen, trying to get it to work.  
He did feel relief that she didn't run off, at least.

The green Gem glanced up at Mike for a moment, and back looked back down.

"You took your sweet time reforming." She stated rudely.

Mike shook his head and sat down on the couch next to her. "Not now, Perry. I'm not in a very tolerating mood for sarcasm right now." He rubbed his temple in annoyance.

"Um... Perry?" Peridot retorted.

Mike slapped his forehead. "Peridot. Sorry. yM head t'nsi in eht right ecalp right won."  
He slapped himself again. Why couldn't his brain and mouth register words right?

Peridot closed her screen in confusion. "...What?"

Mike slapped his face again. He spoke slowly this time, saying each word slowly and carefully.

"Brain. Is. Being. An. Ass. Right. Now."

Peridot looked rather dumbfounded for a moment, but quickly remembered the situation with his gemstone.  
Although she still didn't understand his earth slang.

"...You're cerebral cortex is behaving in similiarity with an Earth mule? What does that even mean?"

She had no clue what he meant by that, but it was probable that his distorted speech was a result of his cracked gemstone. After all, that does have quite an effect on a Gem.

"Peridot?" Steven pulled gently on Peridot's prosthetic arm to get her attention.

Peridot quickly retaliated by jerking her arm away. "Don't touch me. What do you want, Steven?"

She's said it a thousand times to the child. Don't touch any part of her. Why was that so hard to understand?

"Sorry, I keep forgetting. But... do you know if they'res anything wrong with Mike? He keeps talking weird,  
and he called me Morty. Is he okay...?"

Peridot looked at Mike. He was fiddling around with his fedora.

"...I don't remember why I wear this." He stated aloud before putting it back on his head... backwards.

Peridot observed his behavior. "...You're an idiot." Peridot said, grabbing the rim of his hat and flipping around the right way.  
The Homeworld Gem looked back at the boy.

"He's fine. He just exerted himself WAY more than he should have in that, may I say, completely one-sided fight with Jasper. His body may be unscathed, but he still needs some time for his mind to recover. Just ignore it,  
he'll be fine."

Steven looked unsure. "...Are you sure? He doesn't seem fine. His gem isn't broken, is it?"

"Steven..."

The Gem looked at Mike. He had just spoke to him in a hoarse voice.  
He was looking straight down, his fedora covering his face.  
He motioned for to the child to come closer, which Steven eagerly obliged.

"Yeah, Mike?" Steven replied, standing close to him.

"Alright, buddy... what I'm about to say, I want you to listen closely, and I want you to listen clearly. Understood?"

Steven nodded. "Okay."

Mike looked up at him.

And he promptly clamped his hand tightly around the young Gem's throat, getting a light gasp out of the boy.

"I want you... to get the hell away from me... and stop asking over and over again about my condition... or I will dig a hole... really deep in the ground... put you and Jasper in the hole... and bury you alive so you two can be alone together. Then, for once in your life, maybe you'll know how it feels to be alone against that walking brick wall...  
just like I had to do all alone... because neither you or the Crystal Gems can handle themselves in a fight with something bigger than themselves... understand me?"

However, Steven didn't have time to answer, as everyone in the room looked in the direction of the temple at the sound of the entrance door opening.

Mike looked at the door. Then down at his hand. And then back at Steven.  
Having realized what just occurred, he removed his hand quickly from his throat.  
Right before the Crystal Gems entered the room, he managed to point to his red eye and mouth "Hematite" to assure Steven that he didn't choke him himself.

Steven took a small breath and nodded, and they pretended it never happened as the Crystal Gems, reformed and well,  
entered the room.

Garnet spoke first.

"It's done. Jasper's safely locked away in the burning room."

Having stated that, she, Pearl, and Amethyst quickly saw Mike sitting on the sofa, rubbing his left eye.

And Amethyst was the first to speak to him.

"Du-u-ude!" She hopped over to the seated Gem. "The nerd told us you blasted Malachite with a huge death lazer from your gemstone?!"

"Uh... yeah?" Replied a confused Mike.

Amethyst laughed. "That's awesome! I just thought she'd toss you around like a ragdoll or something!"

"...Coming from the one who got taken out first..." Mike thought to himself.

"Up top!" The short Gem exclaimed, holding up a hand.

Mike looked at her hand, and mistaking it for a handshake, raised up his own hand, and was surprised when Amethyst slapped his palm hard.

He held his hand in confusion, wondering why Amethyst just hit him.

"Yer' tougher than I thought! Maybe one of these days I'll introduce you to BCUW!"

...He had no idea what that means.

Pearl stepped forward. "Honestly, I had my doubts about us beating Malachite together. I never would have expected you to split her up all by yourself... good work, Mike."

"...Thank you." Mike replied sincerly.

He, Amethyst and Pearl then turned to Garnet, expecting her to say something.  
She looked at Pearl, then Amethyst, and finally Mike.

"... Nice work." She said, giving a thumbs up.

Mike formed a small smile and nodded.

"We put Jasper in the burning room." Garnet stated again. "And taking her devotion to Homeworld into consideration,  
she's staying in there."

"...For how long?" Mike asked curiously. The Gem wanted to know for sure, as he wanted Jasper nowhere near him or Steven.

"Forever." Garnet replied nonchalantly.

Good riddance. Mike thought.

"However..." Garnet continued. "There's still the matter of what we're going to do with Lapis."

Steven and Mike gave eachother brief glances.

"While she did trap herself and Jasper in the ocean to protect Steven, that doesn't change the fact that she stole the ocean, nearly killed Steven, his father and his friend, and us. There's a chance that if she reforms, she might try and pull a fast one on us, and we can't risk that."

"Go on..." Mike said.

"So we were going to question you and Peridot about Lapis's behavior when she returned to Homeworld."

"Go on..." Mike said.

"That's all." Garnet said. "We need your opinion on the matter. What do you think?"

Mike thought for a moment. He knew it was clear as crystal (horrific pun) that Lapis didn't deserve to be bubbled.  
But at the same time, what would she do when she reformed? Would she start a fight? Judging by Steven's story, she definitely wasn't fond of the Crystal Gems. In fact, if he wasn't around when they crashed Peridot's ship...  
would she have tried to save them?

...It is not easy to think with a broken gemstone.

"...I think she's fine. She just seems... confused. When I... questioned her about why she was on Earth, trapped in a mirror, she made no attempts to fight back. She just hung her head the entire time and kept asking why Homeworld was so different. I don't know who put her in that mirror, but being trapped for that long would make anything, Gem or human, bitter. My point is... we should give her a chance. I'm not telling you how to do things,  
but... if you can't learn to trust someone who's made mistakes in their life, then how can any of us hope to ever bring peace between Earth and the Gem Homeworld?"

...Garnet gave a nod. "Alright." She looked about Peridot. "What do you think?"

Peridot scoffed. "Do whatever, quite frankly, I-

"Alright, that's enough. I didn't really want your opinion, I was just being polite." Garnet interrupted.

Peridot made a sound of disgust and walked off.

"Michael, you make a good argument." The fusion stated, looking back at the Gem. "If you're positive that Lapis means no harm to us, and that she won't cause trouble, then I think we can all agree that she deserves a chance. Gems?"

Amethyst and Pearl nodded.

Garnet nodded. "Then it's decided. Steven, watch over her gemstone. When she reforms, tell us immediately, alright?"

"Okay!" Steven happily agreed.

"Good. Now that that's settled..." She turned back to Mike once more. "I need to speak to you in private."  
Garnet gestured to the entrance to the temple, motioning for the Gem to follow her.

With haste, Mike got up from his seat and followed the fusion to the entrance to the temple.  
On the way, he felt a minor stinging sensation in his gem, but ignored it. He should be fine so long as the crack didn't spread.  
The two walked until they stood near the warp pad, and Garnet turned to look at him.  
It was then that Garnet finally noticed his one red eye.  
She hadn't noticed it before, as Mike usually kept his hat pulled down.

"...One of your eyes is red." She pointed to it.

Mike raised a hand to his eye. "Huh? Oh! Yeah, that's just a minor "glitch in the matrix", if that's how Gems on Earth phrase it. It'll fix itself."

"We don't say that."

"Right. Sorry."

"Don't apologize. That's the last thing you should be doing right now. I wanted to talk about your actions as of late."

Mike listened closely. "Alright. Shoot."

"Michael, when I first met you, I'll be honest, I had my doubts. Steven claimed you rescued him from a corrupted Gem.  
While that did change my view on you, albeit minorly, I still wondered if it was a ruse to gain our trust.  
It also didn't help when Hematite revealed himself. A split personality. Even for... a defective Gem, that seems highly unlikely unless you are a fusion. It really put your living arrangements with us into question."

Mike sweated a little bit. "Okay..."

"However, since then, you displayed remarkable strength and courage when faced with impossible odds.  
You went one on one with an unstable fusion like Malachite, and you didn't give up. Peridot told us everything.  
How you managed to unfuse Jasper and Lapis with a powerful beam from your Gem.  
How you continued to stand up to Jasper when you were in no shape to fight, just so you could protect Steven,  
not to mention all of us. If you weren't there to fight on our behalf, I won't sugarcoat it; we'd all be doomed."

Mike was surprised. He was trying really hard to keep a straight face and not smile right now.  
To be praised by a fusion like Garnet, and by extension, a Sapphire, was a tremendous honor.

"You defended us, you defended Beach City, and most importantly, you protected Steven.  
And we are eternally grateful for that."

She placed a hand on Mike's shoulder. "And for displaying courage, a strong will to fight for what you care about and believe in, and showing your devotion to Earth and the Crystal Gems, it is with great honor that I offically accept you as one of us."

Mike's jaw nearly dropped, and his eyes went wide. Was Garnet serious? Was she actually saying what he thought she was saying?

"Garnet... are you saying...?"

"I am." Garnet continued. "I spoke with Pearl and Amethyst, and they share my thoughts. Michael... or I guess you prefer Mike; you are now offically a Crystal Gem."

Now his jaw hit the floor. He couldn't believe it. It happened. This was it. A Crystal Gem. Him. He... was a Crystal Gem?  
That felt so... right. A Crystal Gem. He was now 100% anti-Homeworld. He never would have expected this to come from a simple extraction mission. To come to Earth, make friends; REAL friends,  
and join their group to oppose Homeworld.

...Earth really was his home planet.

"Garnet... I don't know what to say..." He began.

"Don't say anything. You've earned this. And I mean it when I say that I would gladly join you on the battlefield properly one day, should the need arise." She replied.

Mike smiled. He smiled bigger than he ever smiled before. He almost shed a tear, he was so happy.  
He didn't know what else to tell the fusion. He simply looked up at her, straight in the face, and spoke two simple words.

 _"...Thank you."_

 ** _PLEASE READ:_**  
 ** _Really hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I hope it was worth the wait! And I am back full time, so expect the next chapter very soon! And for all you Amethyst lovers out there, I think you'll enjoy the next chapters!_**

 ** _P.S, I want to thank a Mister FlopsMcGee for his great reviews with this story. The way you describe in detail what you like about each chapter inspires me to write even more and better chapters! Hope to see more reviews from you. ;)_**


	19. Chapter 18: Tag Teams And The Color Blue

(Nighttime...)

It's funny how much a few days can change the course of your life completely.

Mike stood on the porch of the beach house, silently leaning on the edge, glancing down at his cracked gemstone.  
He was conflicted of what he should be feeling right now.  
He felt he should be happy, seeing as how he was now officially a Crystal Gem, and had a chance to start a new life,  
rebelling against Homeworld. Rebelling against what remained of the Diamond Authority.

For once, he didn't feel wrong in his choice of alliance. He was almost regretting not joining the rebellion all those years ago... but at the very least, he joined them now, and that's what matters to him.

Yet... that didn't change the fact that his gemstone was broken.  
Observing the sparkling black stone in his chest, he felt only slight relief that the crack wasn't incredibly deep.  
At least for now.

He's said it to himself before, but he kept going back to the thought of telling one of the Crystal Gems about it.  
But then he would remember that Steven's healing powers are gone, and haven't seemed to show any signs of returning anytime soon. And his own healing powers can only heal wounds, not gemstones.

Worrying them all like that when they finally thought things were turning in their favor by telling them he's at risk of death... imagine how Steven would feel. What if he blamed himself for not having his powers to heal?  
He should never have to blame himself for something Jasper did.

Jasper... ugh. He was so glad she was locked away. Maybe now she'll know how it feels like to be alone in isolation for an eternity. Not that he knows what that would feel like. Although being bubbled seemed too good for a Gem like her.

Her complete hypocritical actions towards fusion, her mistreatment of Lapis Lazuli, how she broke his gemstone...  
How she broke his gemstone...

She broke his gemstone. She broke his gemstone. She broke... his... gemstone...

Mike let out a sigh and rested his face in his hands.  
This was her fault. She's the reason his gem is damaged. All he was doing was trying to protect Gems that he cared about, and she rewarded him with savage beating and a cracked gemstone.  
Of course she had to cause more trouble before she was contained. Her kind of Quartz always has to resolve everything with violence. It made him sick. It made it happy that she was locked away.

Steven may want to try and reform her, and he respects his caring and kindness, those are his best personality traits.  
But a Gem like Jasper would never join a rebellion against Homeworld. Jaspers are stubborn and loyal, and she wouldn't betray Yellow Diamond to join a couple of turncoat Gems.

But at the very least, they didn't have to worry about her anymore. And he was perfectly fine with that.  
His only concern at this point was to wait for Lapis to reform, and in the meantime, try and get to know some of the Gems better. After all, if he's a part of their team, then being a stranger is unacceptable.

As for his gem... he'll figure it out later.

...Not to mention he should probably retrieve his Gem Warship at some point. That was still hidden far out of town.  
A ship like that would definitely come in handy.

The Gem was so lost in thought, he hadn't noticed that someone had joined him on the porch.  
While Mike stared into space in the direction of the ocean, a large figure snuck up quietly behind him.  
He was completely oblivious to their presence at first, being lost in his thoughts, which had, admittingly, always been a quirk with him.

The large figure stepped very slowly and quietly, making sure to be as quiet as possible so as to not get the Gem's attention.  
However, they made one wrong step, and the wooden panelling beneath their feet creaked loudly, causing Mike to quickly turn his head to the source of the noise.

And the second he turned completely around...

"RRAAAAHH!" The figure screamed, sending a terrified Mike flying backwards a little bit.

"WAAAAHHH!" The Gem screamed himself as he hit the hard wooden floor.

He looked directly up at the figure that screamed in his face, and his blood immediately went cold.

Jasper.

Mike rubbed his eyes furiously and took a second look to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.  
While her entire body was shrouded in shadow, he was positive he was looking at the giant Quartz Gem.  
The hair, the body shape, the height... but how could she have possibly escaped a Gem bubble?! That's impossible!

However, his fear completely drained from his body rather quickly when the hulking Gem began to laugh histerically in a voice too high to be Jasper's.

"Bahahaha! Oh, DUDE! You should'ah seen the look on your face! Priceless!" The Jasper lookalike chortled rather smugly.

Mike blinked. "...Amethyst?!"

At the sound of her name, the Gem quickly shapeshifted into her regular form.

Mike couldn't believe this! Why would Amethyst do such a thing? And find it... funny?  
How was that supposed to make him laugh?  
He didn't know what to say. He just stared at the laughing Gem with a shocked look on his face.

When Amethyst was done laughing, she wiped a tear from her eye. "Hah, you know it!" She replied to him.  
"I gotcha, didn't I?"

Mike's eye twitched in annoyance at the Crystal Gem's impulsive action. He clearly wasn't amused by the trick.

"Amethyst, that wasn't funny! I thought you were really Jasper! How is that supposed to make me laugh?!"

Amethyst jokingly punched Mike in the shoulder. "Ah, lighten up! You're sounding just like Pearl. BTW, that wasn't supposed to make you laugh, it was supposed to make me laugh at your expense. And it sure as heck worked,  
hahah!"

Mike didn't understand this concept of "humor." He thought what Amethyst did counted as "scaring the ever-living heck out of someone." Was this Earth humor? Because if that is the case, he wasn't sure he liked it. At all.  
His impending death didn't seem very funny.

"Making me think Jasper had came back to finish the job was supposed to be funny?"

Amethyst chuckled. "Relax dude, she's still bubbled up in the burning room. She's not gonna get you."  
Amethyst shoved him lightly, annoying Mike further.

"Quit pushing me." He said.

"Quit pushing me." Amethyst copied him.

"...Don't star-

"Don't start." Amethyst interrupted, stealing the words right out of his mouth.

"Ameth-

"Amethyst." She interrupted again, smiling right in Mike's face.

Mike crooked his head slightly. Was this a game she was playing with him? Copying his words?  
Or was she continuing to play jokes on him? Either way, he was confused as to what was happening.

Mike rubbed his eyes with one hand. "Okay, Amethyst. I don't know why you're copying me, but it would be kind if you would-

He stopped himself this time when he opened his eyes again. Staring him straight in his face, the exact same confused expression, was Amethyst shapeshifted to look like him, albeit with a purple colorscheme.

Mike raised an eyebrow, and Amethyst repeated the action.

"Why do you look like me?" He asked, although it wasn't like he would get an actual answer.

"Why do you look like me?" Amethyst copied him, trying to imitate his voice aswell.

"Knock it off, Amethyst."

"Knock it off, Amethyst.

"Quit it!"

"Quit it!"

"Amethyst, oh my god, I will slap you!" Mike said, getting frustrated.

"Amethyst, oh my god, I will slap you!" Amethyst again mockingly copied Mike.  
She was clearly enjoying frustrating the Gem. It was funny how easy it was, and his reactions were funny.  
Mike however, came up with a clever idea.

He got in his purple doppelganger's face and gave a smirk.

"Amethyst sucks."

"...Mike sucks."

"OH COME ON!" Mike yelled in frustration, but let himself calm down a bit. "How?! How'd you know I'd say that?"

Amethyst returned to her normal form before replying. "Cause that's the oldest trick in the book, dude."  
She placed her hands behind her head. "Good try, but you'll have to try harder than that."

Mike groaned. He thought he had her. She's smarter than he thought. That Gem was definitely a crafty one.  
Although... he did have a little fun himself during that exchange.

Not knowing what else to say in retaliation, Mike threw his hands up in defeat. "Alright, alright, you got me. You win."

"Ha, you're darn right I did. Up top!" Amethyst held up her hand, like she did earlier during the daytime.  
Mike, like last time, raised his hand to Amethyst's, and like last time, she slapped it hard.

He still didn't understand the "Up Top" gesture, but he assumed it was a good thing, since she did it when she congradulated him on beating Malachite. He had some stuff to learn about Earth customs.

Amethyst brushed some hair out of her face with one hand. Mike took this time to observe the Gem's stature. It was odd. For an Amethyst, she seemed... lacking. She was about the same height as Steven, which is unusal for Quartz Gems. She should be the size of Jasper, yet... she's so short. She must be a defective.  
Well... maybe not defective. She may have just been incubating in the ground for too long.  
May explain why she was the first one taken out by Malachite.

Amethyst noticed Mike staring at her and snorted. "See something you like?"

He looked up at her face. "Excuse me?"

"You're looking all over me, it's kinda creepin' me out, man."

Mike rubbed the back of his head. "Oh! Sorry. It's just that you're really... short."

"There a problem with that?" Amethyst asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No! No, of course not!"

Mike should slap himself right now. He was clearly being insensitive right now. He can't just stare at a Gem and make them uncomfortable. He was trying to fit it.  
He took off his hat and wiped his forehead.

"I didn't mean to offend you, Amethyst. I was just-

"Relax, I'm still just messing with ya." Amethyst stopped him, and chuckled.

Mike raised his own eyebrow and replaced his hat. "Is that the reason you came out here? Just to... "mess with me?"

"Nah... well, yeah, but not JUST to mess with ya. I wanted to have a little "chat" together, just you and me."

"Really?" Mike asked.

"Yeah. I was thinking about it while you were reforming, and I thought to myself; you and me haven't really talked to each other much yet. Our amount of interaction amounts to; you insulting my height, me insulting you, me kickin' you in the nads, and me pouring salt in your open cut. I figured I could take you out, show you a little fun."

Mike tilted his head ever so slightly with curiousity. "Fun? Steven took me to a "Funland a few days ago, and the most fun I had was beating moles over the head. Other than that, I got burned with acid by a giant spider Gem."

"...Well, you definitely had a better Thursday than me..." Amethyst joked. "No, I'm gonna show you something better.  
Remember when I offered to introduce you to BCUW earlier?"

"I do."

"Sweet, so I was thinking; I got a match-up tonight, against some tool in blue tights. I figured I could show you a little taste of what wrestling's like here, and maybe you and me could tear it up in the ring, you know what I'm saying?"

"I have absolutely no clue what you're saying!" Mike replied enthusiastically. "But I'm interested. Just one question though:  
What's wrestling?"

Amethyst whistled. "Hoo, boy. I gotta lot of stuff to teach you. Follow me."

And with that, Amethyst hopped on the railing of the stairs of the house and slid down all the way to the bottom.  
Mike watched her go, impressed at the faster way to descend stairs that he had never seen previously.

"Come on, man! Hurry up!" Amethyst shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

Mike obliged, and attempted to replicate the purple Gem's method of descending the stairs.  
...Only to fall off the railing and fall a very high height, landing on his back in the sand.  
Luckily, his gemstone didn't crack more.

Amethyst tried not to laugh at the Gem's botch. "Pfft... nice try, but next time try not to fall flat on your butt."

Mike lifted himself off the ground and brushed the sand off his clothes. "Yeah, I'll do that..."

"And if you botch it again, when you're falling, try to avoid rocks. I had a pretty bad spill one time and cracked my gem. And I'm gonna assume you don't want yours broken?

...A little late for that.

"...Sure." Mike said, zipping up his hoodie. Due to the dark, Amethyst clearly didn't see that it's cracked, but better safe than sorry.

And he had to be careful when talking, too. He was thinking before he spoke so he wouldn't accidentally talk backwards and blow his cover. As long as he doesn't take any more physical trauma to the gem, however, he may be fine... for now.

"...Lead the way." Mike told Amethyst.

"You got it." Amethyst replied, gesturing for the black-clothed Gem to follow.  
As the two walked across the silent, dark beach side towards town, a thought popped into his head.  
What's a "botch?"

Mike observed the building he was standing in. It was rundown, parts of the wall scraped away, and there was a gaping hole in the wall from which he was observing the room, which in the center, stood a square structure surrounded by ropes,  
which were connected to four poles surrounding it.

"That there's a "wrestling ring." Amethyst said. "You ever heard of that?"

Mike shook his head. "No. And how is that a wrestling "ring" if it's a square shape?"

"It's just a fancy name. And "wrestling", is a term for beating the tar out of somebody."

"So... it's a fighting competition?" Mike asked. He was familiar with that paticular sport. After all, it was a common procedure for newborn Gems on Homeworld. Or Gems being punished. Not the most... pleasant, for them.

"Exactly." Amethyst replied.

"You fight humans to the death?"

"What? No, course not! You just knock em' out."

"...Oh. But... why would you want to fight a human? Not even the strongest human could stand up to a Quartz Gem like you." Mike asked, perplexed.

"Chill, it's just for fun. It's my little getaway after being nagged at by Pearl and Garnet all day. What with all the stuff that's been going on, with you, the nerd, and Malachite, I figured this would be the perfect way to unwind.  
You can be in my corner for the match and help me destroy the competetion. It's a tag match, so I need someone else with me. And I wanna see for myself what'cha got. Whaddaya say?"

Mike thought for a moment. Did he want to watch a curbstomp battle between a Gem and a human?  
A fight like that would probably last just a few seconds. One punch would about do it.  
But... he did just walk all this way, and he didn't want to dissapoint Amethyst. After all, he's trying to get better aquainted with the Crystal Gems, since he was now one himself.

So against his better judgement, the Gem nodded. "Okay. Show me this, "wrestling."

Amethyst smirked. "Awesome. Now, I need you to close your eyes for a sec."

Mike raised an eyebrow. "...Why?"

"Just do it, man. I gotta change into my "wrestling gear."

Mike obliged, and shut his eyes for a moment.

Not more than two seconds later, Amethyst spoke. "Kay, open your eyes."

Mike opened his eyes.

He looked up with mild surprise. Amethyst appeared to have shapeshifted herself.  
She was much bigger than she just was, being taller than Mike himself.  
She was wearing the same white boots, but other than that, her attire changed quite drastically.  
She donned a weird black outfit, purple wristbands, a purple mask, and she had A LOT of body hair on her chest and armpits.

Mike didn't say anything. He was just wondering why she seemed to be making the human fighter's future beating even worse.

"Say hello to the Purple Puma!" Amethyst exclaimed, flexing her muscles.

"...Who?"

"That's my wrestling identity. A character I made up for when I fight." Amethyst replied.

"You have to do that?"

"Well, no, but it makes it WAY more fun. Besides, if you're a heel like me, than you don't want people to know who you are if you don't want em' booing you in public."

"Oh... do I need a wrestling identity?" Mike asked.

Amethyst looked him over for a moment. "Eeeh... not yet. We'll see how you do in your first match, then we'll see about you getting an identity."

"But.. doesn't that just contradict what you just said about protecting your identity?"

"Yeah. But I just want to see if you can hang with me in the ring. THEN we'll worry about getting you a wrestling identity."

"...Alright, one more question. What is a "heel?" Isn't that the back of a foot?"

Amethyst shook her head. "Nah. Wrestling term. It basically means you're the villain."

Mike looked confused. "Villain? Why would we be villains? Aren't we Crystal Gems?"

Amethyst patted Mike's shoulder in a patronizng fashion. "Not here we're not. Being the villain makes this WAY more fun. You get to do anything you want, and the only consequence is the crowds booing you. And even then,  
it's REALLY fun to make em' mad. It's the best part of wrestling."

"Amethyst, you're kind of asking a lot here. I don't know if I can be a bad guy..." Mike said, unsure.

"Relax, of course you can. You've been one the entire time you were on Homeworld, right?"

Mike did not look amused at all by her words.

Amethyst quickly realized this. "...Sorry. Seriously though, it's not even being a real villain. Just when you're wrestling. Trust me, it's fun and easy. Just walk out there and make the crowd mad. You ready?"

After a quick moment of consideration, Mike nodded. "I guess so."

"Awesome. Now, follow me, and remember, be a villain."

With that, Amethyst walked through the hole in the wall into the room containing the wrestling ring, Mike following directly beside her.

When the two partners entered, they were immediately met with intense boos from the crowd of people seated next to the ring.

The crowd contained two familiar faces that Mike knew, Steven's friends Lars and Sadie from a few days ago.

The two recogized Mike themselves.

"Isn't that... Steven's friend, Mike?" Sadie asked Lars, who laughed in response.

"Pfft. The guy's gonna be squashed as soon as he enters the ring." He mocked, before taking a drink of his soda.

When Mike looked at Lars, he suddenly got an idea. He strayed from Amethyst, and over to Lars, who was in the front row.

When Mike approached, Lars glared at him. "Do you mind getting out of my face?" He snapped, clearly still upset over that insult Mike made regarding his oddly shaped ears.

Mike decided since he and Lars didn't seem fond of each other, that he'd be the perfect target to get some heat.  
He snatched Lars' soda from his hands, removed the lid, and tossed the beverage in his face, immediately getting loud boos from the crowd, as well as a small chuckle from Sadie.

Then, Mike leaned over the barricade and got in Lars' face. "Mind getting out of my arena?" He said in a patronizing tone,  
getting even more boos from the crowd. To top it off, he gave Lars a light shove, getting more heat off the crowd.  
Satisfied with his work, Mike turned from the crowd and joined Amethyst in the ring.

"Feel good?" Amethyst whispered to the Gem.

"Surprisingly... yeah." Mike replied. Surely, there was something oddly satisfying about displeasing the crowd here.  
He wasn't sure if that was his inner Hematite thinking, but he really enjoyed angering the crowd at Lars' expense.

"Great. And that was pretty good. Now, all we have to do is beat these guys, BUT, there's a catch."

"Alright, what is it?" Mike asked.

"We gotta pull our punches, obviously." Amethyst replied. "This ain't like fighting Malachite. Unless we wanna put these guys in the hospital, we have to hold back. I don't wanna be responsible for putting someone in a wheelchair, and I'm pretty sure you don't either."

"Alright. What do you suggest?"

"Mess with them. Toss em' around the ring, don't punch too hard, and most importantly, let loose. Now,  
you get outside the ring, I'll rough em up a bit, and I'll tag you in down the line, and then you can have a little fun."

Mike understood, and went under the ropes to the outside of the ring.

"All right folks, it appears that the challengers have arrived!" Exclaimed a man nearby holding a microphone.

"Introducing first, the single most hated wrestler in BCUW history, the Purple Puma!" The man shouted into his mic,  
with Amethyst smugly flexing her muscles and receiving very loud boos from the crowd.

"And it appears that he's brought a new tag team partner with him tonight, ladies and gentlemen! Can he get a round of applause?!"

The crowd obviously didn't cooperate after Mike's stunt with the soda, and he too recieved boos from the crowd, though not nearly as loud as Amethyst.

"Apparently not!" The announcer said. "Now, introducing next, they are the BCUW Tag Team Champions, they build hospitals for the sick, and they build muscles that look slick! Give it up for... Concrete Heat and Chunk Trunk!"

Mike observed the competition closely. One human was rather scrawny, and appeared to be wearing cuffs made out of concrete, while the other dressed like he was about to construct something.  
Of course, he didn't believe they actually crafted healing centers for humans for one second.

Concrete Heat started the action by charging at Amethyst, but due to his skinny stature, smacked into her like a brick wall and fell to the ground. Amethyst laughed and picked up Concrete Heat and proceeded to throw him into the nearby turnbuckle, earning some boos from the crowd.

Dazed, Concrete heat leaned his back on the turnbuckle, while Amethyst ran up and delivered a few punches to the gut, before grabbing him and throwing him onto the middle of the ring canvas.  
She proceeded to climb to the top turnbuckle, and jumped high into the air, and delivered a nearly rib-breaking elbow drop.

"Ouch! That's gotta hurt!" The announcer said while the audience booed. "Can Concrete Heat manage to come back from this?! Probably not!"

Great boos from the crowd now, as Amethyst smirked and hoisted up concrete heat, lifted him high into the air,  
and delivered a nasty powerbomb to the scrawny human, who yelped in pain.

Amethyst then turned to Mike, and quickly slapped him hard on the hand, making Mike recoil in surprise.

"Hey...! I thought we were partners?" Mike exclaimed.

"I'm taggin' ya in! Now get in here and show me what you're made of!" Amethyst replied, hopping over the ropes.

Mike obeyed, and stepped over the ropes into the ring, receiving some boos from the crowd just for entering the squared circle.

At the same time, Concrete Heat tagged in his own partner, Chunk Truck, who was holding a steel chair in his hands.

"Oh, it apppears Chunk Truck has a weapon! Can this turn the match to his team's favor against the Purple Puma's new teammate?!" The announcer exclaimed.

Mike took steps toward Chunk Truck, who didn't waste any time in smacking the steel chair into the Gem's ribs,  
giving him a hint of pain due to his already cracked gemstone.  
As Mike leaned over and held his ribcage, Chunk Truck took the opportunity to smack the steel chair over Mike's back, knocking him onto his knees.

"Oh! Purple Puma's black clad partner isn't doing too well, folks! Can he power through the pain?! Should he even be standing in this ring right now?!"

Chunk Truck raised the steel chair one more time, but before he could bring it down, was quickly low-blowed by Mike, dropping the chair, which got him pretty loud boos from the crowd.

"Ouch! Down low! What a cheap shot!"

"Yeah! Right in the nads!" Amethyst yelled out.

Mike got back up on two feet quickly, and grabbed the steel chair off the ground, and slammed it straight into Chunk Truck's face, knocking him down. And he didn't stop there.

He placed the wrestler's foot inside the steel chair, and proceeded to stomp down on it, squishing his foot between the solid steel.

"Good lord almighty, he may have broken the man's foot!" The announcer exclaimed with gusto, as Mike got booed even louder by the crowd.

Mike looked into Chunk Truck's corner, and saw that a recuperated Concrete Heat had climbed to the top turnbuckle and quickly jumped off, attempting a suicide dive, only to be grabbed by the throat by Mike.  
As soon as Mike tried to attempt a move, Chunk Truck got back up with the steel chair, but Mike grabbed him by the throat too, making him drop the chair in the process.

Mike looked both wrestlers in the face with a toothy grin that would unsettle even the bulkiest person, before delivering to the two men a brutal double chokeslam to the mat.

"Good lord, the strength of this one! He just chokeslammed TWO men at once! Two! I don't think I've seen that yet in my announcing career!"

More boos from the crowd, as Mike gazed over at them smugly.  
Amethyst, who was enjoying the action, hopped into the ring. "Toss one of em' over here!" She yelled to Mike.  
Eager to see what Amethyst was planning, Mike hoisted up Chunk Truck and held his arms back so as to not try escaping.

Amethyst climbed to the top turnbuckle, and jumped down to the two, Mike getting out of the way, and giving Chunk Truck a brutal flying clothesline, knocking him clean out. Mike then proceeded to grab him and disrespectfully throw him out of the ring, getting very increasingly loud boos from the crowd.

All that remained was Concrete Heat. Mike nodded to Amethyst, who again got onto the top rope, and delivered a flying leg drop to the scrawny human.

It was Mike's turn now. He approached the fallen wrestler, and proceeded to make a neck-slicing gesture with his hand, before picking up the human and nailing him, center of the ring, with a Tombstone Piledriver, knocking him clean out. Mike didn't know what he did was a Tombstone Piledriver, but he thought it would be enough head trauma to knock him out.

"A Tombstone! One of the most deadly moves in professional wrestling history! This one is over, ladies and gentlemen!"  
The announcer exclaimed, climbing into the ring himself, holding the Tag Team Championships.

"The winners, and NEW, Tag Team Champions, the Purple Puma, and his tag team partner who's name I still don't know!" The audience booed at the announcers proclamation, as he handed the title belts to Mike and Amethyst.  
Mike gazed at the belt. He hadn't expected to be rewarded for beating up humans. Yet here he was, holding a title made out of solid gold in his hands. He didn't know what it was for, if it was just bragging rights or what,  
but nonetheless, he was rather happy about holding the prize in his hands.

His attention was taken from the belt when the announcer held the microphone up to Mike.

"What is your name, sir?!" The announcer said into the microphone.  
Mike raised his eyebrow at the announcer, not willing to give the man or the audience his real name.  
Instead, he calmly took the microphone from the announcers hand, and held it up to his mouth...

And proceeded to nail the announcer with a rough superkick, sending him through the ropes and onto the hard ground,  
and the audience booed him louder than any other time they did previously.  
Mike held the mic to his mouth once more, and proceeded to speak.

"Last time I checked, I don't remember allowing you to step foot into our ring!" Mike shouted at the unconcious announcer.

He turned his attention to the crowd. "And all of you! You all should be honored to be in the same ROOM as us!  
We get put up against some scrawny clowns, and then you all act surprised when we actually win! HA!  
You people don't even KNOW talent, do you?!" Mike yelled at the crowd, who would not stop booing the duo.

"And you! Announcer!" He pointed at him. "You can't even hear me right now, can you?! You're not even concious!  
That's because you're so flimsy and weak, it only takes one kick to the head to knock you on your flabby behind!  
And you wanna know who I am?! YOU WANNA KNOW WHO I AM?!" Mike yelled loud enough to surprise even himself.

"I'm the man that will fight your children! I'm the man who will fight ANYBODY who thinks they're better than us!  
And I'm the man who's gonna BURN down the houses of every weak person in this building who thinks they can step up to the Purple Puma, and ME!" And he dropped the Mike and held his championship high in the air to the loud boos from the crowd.

Mike could barely believe he just said that all. He really just unleashed the villain inside him right then.  
And it felt good. Not for acting like a gloating jerk, but... acting like a gloating jerk for fun.  
He had never competed in front of a crowd to have fun before... and it was really fun.

The boos the crowd were giving him were loud and seemed unending, and he was enjoying it.  
Being a villain, he couldn't stand. But ACTING like a villain... well, that felt completely different.  
Feeling accomplished, he and Amethyst turned their backs on the booing crowd, and hopped out of the ring.

The two started walking out of the arena with the booing crowd behind them continuing to boo loudly at their disrespect.

The tag partners stopped when they reached the gaping hole in the wall. Without looking back at the crowd,  
the two held their championships high in the air, getting some final heat from the crowd, before departing.

When they were completely out of the crowds, sight, Amethyst shapeshifted back to her normal form, laughing out loud.

"Oh, MAN! That was awesome! We kicked their butts so hard!" She exclaimed. "You, bro, you are an A+ jerk! Did you see the look on the announcers face right before you nailed him?!"

"I know! He was all like, "AAH, DON'T HIT MEEE!" Pfft!... No but seriously, did I do good?" Mike said,  
switching his demeanor so suddenly.

"Are you kidding?! You did better than good! How you tossed Lars' soda in his face, and when you punched that guy in the nuts? You did better than I thought you would! And now look! Now I'm a two-time Tag Team Champion!  
You'd be the perfect guy for being my permanant tag team partner!"

Mike smiled. "Cool! Does this mean I get to wear a mask?!"

"Yup!" Amethyst replied, holding her hand up for a high five, which Mike promptly slapped.

"WOO!" The two Gems yelled simultaneously.

Steven tried getting to sleep. He couldn't, though. He felt like he needed to talk to someone.  
But there was no one to talk to. Pearl and Garnet were in the temple, and he didn't want to bother them,  
Peridot refused to open the bathroom door for him, and Amethyst and Mike left the house earlier to do something,  
while Lapis had not yet reformed, and her gemstone was sitting on the table next to his bed.

After the day they had previously, with Malachite, and Jasper, and Lapis, it seemed like everything had calmed down.  
But he was still worried about Lapis. And Jasper. Jasper, because he thought that despite everything she's done to them,  
she didn't deserve to be bubbled, in the same way Peridot and Mike didn't. Because she was just misunderstood.

And Lapis, because she had been through so much. Trapped in that mirror for such a long time, being imprisoned by Jasper just because she knew about him and the Gems, and forced to be fused as Malachite for such a long time.

He felt like talking to Mike would be the best option, since he seemed like the only other one there who genuinly felt worried about her, since it was obvious the Gems were cautious of her behavior when she reforms, and Peridot seemed to care about her just about as much as anyone else.

But Mike wasn't here, so he couldn't. All he could do was lay in his bed and try to finally get a good night's rest after everything that's happened. But even sleep eluded him at this point. His insomnia, he didn't know why it could just leave him for one night. Perhaps his mind was to full of thoughts of everything that could happen now with Lapis here.

...However, those thoughts halted completely when the boy realized that a faint glow was illuminating his room.  
Steven jumped up from the spot on his bed and turned his head to the table next to him.

Lapis' gemstone was glowing. It was glowing with a faint blue light.

Steven watched anxiously and with surprise as the teardrop-shaped stone slowly lifted itself into the air.  
It was glowing brightly now, as the Gem-child watched with exitement as a body sprouted from the gem,  
which in turn sprouted hair and a dress.

The glow dissapeared from the body, which fell to the ground, the familiar figure landing on her knees.  
She slowly looked up. She looked so confused. She had no idea in the slightest where she was currently contained.  
But before the blue Gem could think she was locked in yet another prison, her gentle blue eyes spotted the child standing ever so close to her, looking surprised, anxious... and happy.

Steven rubbed his eyes just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. He wasn't. He was really looking into the eyes of Lapis Lazuli. After months, months, of searching for her,  
months of her having to be fused with Jasper as Malachite, here Lapis sat on her knees, not looking beat up,  
battered, yet she still looked exhausted. s

Steven couldn't hold himself back when he tightly hugged his friend.

Lapis almost didn't know what to say in this situation. She had no idea where she was, or how she was split from Jasper.  
The last thing she remembered, Steven was pleading with her to try and stop Jasper, and now... the child was embracing her, teary eyed.

The only thing she could could think to say was one word.

"...S-Steven...?" 


	20. Chapter 19: Kicking Screaming Clod

_**I hacked this account. There's a message that I've been wanting to get out to all of you for a long time,**_  
 _ **and now I finally have a chance. So here it is.**_

 _ **Fuck you.**_

 _ **-Hematite.**_

 _ **...**_

Steven forced himself to let go of Lapis, wanting to embrace for just a moment longer.

"Lapis, I'm so glad you're okay... you're not still hurt, are you?" He asked with concern.  
He wasn't referring to physical damage, of course. In fact, Lapis looked better than she had in a long time.

However, Lapis didn't answer the question, and looked around the room curiously.

"Steven... where is this...? Where are we?" She asked, her voice a little shaky.

Steven placed his warm hand on her shoulder for comfort. "It's okay, Lapis... we're in my house. We're safe. You're safe..."

But Lapis didn't even seem to listen to his reply. Her eyes just scanned around the room very quickly, as if she was looking for something.

"Jasper? Where's... where's Jasper...?" She asked anxiously.

Steven felt a little sad for a moment when he remembered Jasper. He's said it before, he didn't want her to be locked up in the burning room in a bubble forever. It just didn't seem fair.  
But he didn't want to get caught up in thinking right now. It was clear Lapis needed reassurance, and comfort right now,  
and he needed to give it to her.

"She's... she's locked away, Lapis. She can't get to you, or me. You... don't have to worry about her anymore."

Lapis appeared to acknowledge his answer this time. At the very least, she looked Steven straight in the face instead of looking around the room. Although she still looked unsettled. Worried... violated.

"You're okay, right Lapis? You're not Malachite anymore, and Jasper's bubbled. You don't have to be scared."

"No..." Lapis said suddenly and quickly. "No, it's not that... I'm just... tired, that's all..."  
She looked down for a brief moment, and glanced up at Steven again.

"Did she hurt you? Are you hurt?" She asked, clutching Steven's hands with hers, which couldn't help but make Steven feel bad.

After everything that's happened with her, after being imprisoned so many times, after months of being fused with Jasper, which could not have been a pleasant experience, she was still concerned about his well-being. That just made him feel bad. Did she even care about her own well being? Or was it only him that she cared about?

"I'm fine, Lapis. See? The worst I have is maybe a bruise and some cuts. But Jasper barely touched me.  
Never mind me though. I'm just worried about you."

"I'm okay, Steven." Lapis insisted, unintentionally raising her voice a bit. "I just... the last thing I remember as Malachite was seeing you... and then Jasper took control. I thought... I thought she'd..."

"It's okay." Steven quietly interrupted. "My friends managed to split you two up. I've been waiting for you to reform since then."

Lapis acknowledged all that with a slow nod. The blue Gem let of of the boy's hands.

"And this... this is your home?" She asked, looking around the beach house some more.

"Yeah! You like it?" Steven replied.

Lapis however, once again didn't answer his question, and asked her own.

"Am I supposed to... stay here?" She asked, looking at Steven once more.

"Well... I was hoping you would. You don't really have anywhere else to go, do you?" Steven replied, which caused Lapis to frown.

Steven, thinking he made her frown, tried to comfort her again. "...I'm sorry. I guess it's kind of my fault that you're stuck here now-

"No!" Lapis blurted out. "No Steven, it's not you. It's just..."

Lapis paused, and looked out the window near her at the night sky.

"I don't blame you for anything, Steven. Heck, all you've done since we met was help me. Help me get home, and...  
helping me unfuse from Malachite. It's just... I tried so hard to find a way home. I was trapped in that mirror for centuries, and when you helped me get out, and I left... I had no idea what to do.

There wasn't any way I could think of to get back. I just wandered aimlessly for so long... and then I tried to use your ocean to get back home. And when that didn't work, I almost lost hope. But... then you came back,  
and you healed me. You fixed my gemstone, and I could use my wings to fly my way home. After the longest time,  
I thought I could finally be in the comfort of my own Homeworld..."

She laughed at herself.

"And then I find out that everything's changed. Everything's more advanced, more populated, more... dark.  
Then they just interrogate me like I'm some kind of criminal and drag me right back here. With HER..." She said darkly through clentched teeth.

Steven couldn't help by feel intimidated by Lapis' sudden dark demeanor.  
Thankfully, it only lasted that one word before she calmed herself and continued.

"You've enountered Jasper. You were imprisoned by her, just like me. But you have no idea what it's like having to be stuck with her for so long. The abuse is unbearable. Verbal abuse... physical abuse..." She said with a shiver. "It's not like I could fight back, with those high-tech destabilizing rods..."

Steven wasn't sure he wanted to listen to more of this. Those mentions of abuse...they put awful images in his head.  
But he had to listen. He had to help Lapis, to make her feel better. More comfortable.  
So he remained silent and continued listening.

"...And that Peridot was no better. I could hear her talking with Jasper from my cell. Mocking me. Scoffing at MY suffering... I hope wherever she is, she burns for what she's done, along with Jasper..."

Now that gave Steven a pained, stinging feeling in his stomach. That insult was completely genuine. She meant it.  
And little did she know, the Gem she was describing was just one room away from her.

"Lapis, don't say that. Maybe... maybe Peridot's not so..."

"Not so what?" Lapis snapped at the boy suddenly, who didn't finish his sentence.

Immediately regretting her hostility, Lapis took a breath and rubbed her forehead.

"I'm sorry, Steven. I shouldn't have yelled. I'm just... so stressed about everything right now..."

Steven tried to say something else, but stopped when the door to the house opened, and Mike and Amethyst walked in to the dark room.

Lapis jumped a little at the sound of the door, but Steven quickly reassured the Gem.

"Don't worry, those are just my friends." He said, before turning back to the two Gems below, who hadn't noticed him or Lapis.

The two talked in low voices, probably because they thought Steven was asleep and didn't want to wake him,  
not knowing that he was watching him.

"You think that could help?" Mike asked Amethyst, who was carrying what Steven recognized as BCUW's tag team championships, which he and Amethyst won before together.

"Probably. If you don't want to be recognized in public, making yourself look as different as possible is a good idea. You don't need to go overboard, though. All Steven had to do was slick his hair back and slapped on a tiger mask." Amethyst replied.

Steven could only assume the two were discussing wrestling, which was something he himself did with Amethyst for awhile. However, he didn't focus on that, considering Lapis was reformed, and he should tell them.

Steven turned to Lapis, who, had moved onto his bed, and spoke to her.

"I'll be right back, Lapis. Just wait a second."

That being said, Steven eagerly hopped down the steps to the living room, where Mike and Amethyst immediately noticed the boy.

"Hey Steman!" Amethyst greeted first. "Check it out!" She held up the titles. "Me and Mikey-boy here are the new tag champs!"

"Oh, hey Steven!" Mike greeted next. "You're still awake? It's like..."

He paused for a moment.

"...Yeah, I can't tell human time yet. Anyways, we were just coming back here to get Peridot..."

Steven however, dismissed both their greetings. "Guys, guess what? It's great! Lapis is back!"

Upon hearing that, both Gems seemed to drop their layed-back demeanors.

"Woah, seriously?" Amethyst said, tossing the two championships onto the nearby couch. "Since when?"

"Since just a few minutes ago! We were just talking before you two came in."

"Wait, really, Steven?" Mike asked. "How is she?" Y'know, after... after all that stuff with Malachite?"

"I don't know..." He replied. "She just seems confused right now about everything. And... she's really mad at Jasper and Peridot."

"Heh, well could you blame her?" Amethyst retorted. "If some guys locked me up and made me fuse with em,  
I'd probably hold a grudge, too. But... seriously, what has she said to you?"

"She kept asking if I was alright. And she asked about Jasper, and said that she hopes that she and Peridot...  
pay for what they've done."

There was a brief silence. Amethyst broke it quickly.

"Dang... she's not gonna be happy when she finds out the nerd's living with us..."

"I know... that's what I'm worried about. I was hoping of trying to get those two to get along..."

"I... don't think that's a good idea right now, Steven." Mike interrupted. "Especially not now. If you said she just reformed,  
then she's obviously bitter about everything that's happened. It's not a good idea to just shove it in her face so suddenly that one of her captors has a truce with us."

"Yeah. I think we've had enough drama when we had to worry about her being fused, we don't need her and Peridot at eachother's throats." Amethyst chimed in.

Steven nodded acknowledgely. It definitely wasn't the way he wanted things to go when Lapis finally reformed.  
He just wanted everyone to be friends, and he didn't want to have to wait.

"So what am I supposed to do?" He asked. "I can't just lie about her living here."

"Well, don't just suddenly tell her." Mike replied. "I get where she's coming from, Steven. She's bitter about Peridot's actions, and she clearly wouldn't be happy to see her. You need to just try and slowly talk your way into the topic, you know? Be delicate. Look, me and Amethyst were going to take Peridot out for a while, anyway.  
You can just talk about anything with her, and just work your way to talking about Peridot, and maybe tell her she regrets what she did?"

Steven nodded understandably. "That makes sense, I guess... wait, where are you taking Peridot?"

"Ah, don't worry. We were just gonna steal her for awhile and see if she can get the stick out of her butt.  
Show her a fun time around town."

Steven looked pleased by this. "Wow, really? You're going to help her get adjusted to living here? That's great!"

"Ain't it? We were just talking about her and figured she needed a little... convincing, to get her on our side,  
you know what I'm saying?"

Steven was very happy at this prospect. "Awesome! What were you gonna do with her?"

"Well..." Amethyst began.

"This is Peridot. Log Date 1 16 22. I am still currently residing in the Crystal Gem's fortress, still basically a prisoner,  
and still basically a traitor to my Homeworld, and to Yellow Diamond. I directly intervened in Jasper's attempted pacification of Hematite, who still wants to be refered to as Mike, which I still refuse to do, on the grounds that it is pointless and ridiculous. The reason..."

Peridot stopped her report.

She never actually thought about why she did it. Why she helped the Crystal Gems.  
Yes, while she would have been cracked upon returning to Homeworld, that wasn't the reason she went against Jasper.

"... The reason, I am not entirely sure. A moment of weakness, perhaps? Tired by Jasper's exessive use of unnecessary violence? Perhaps. Or maybe it wasn't my desire to watch Hematite be broken. Point being, I am still living with these Crystal Gems, although I may have earned some trust out of them for my intervention. The Amethyst, in paticular, actually praised me, telling me that I did a "sweet job." I will update if something else noteworthy occurs. Peridot out."

Peridot sighed and lowered her arm.

Why did she even bother recording these log dates anymore? It's not like it was something that she could send to Homeworld. It's not like these reports even mattered.

But it was the only thing she had to do. All she could do without having to socialize with the other Gems out there was to record her own misery. It was really all she had.

There was Hematite, she supposed. He was a Gem that she didn't want to stab in the neck with a destabilizer,  
but he wasn't exactly the most pleasant person to talk to, what with his... anger issues.  
She'd rather not be alone with him and make him angry, unless I want him to smash my Gem to bits.  
Yet... she still found herself helping him when Jasper was very close to killing him. But why?

Maybe those years of occasional assignments together made her less weary of him.  
He was always her superior in their assignments. And his methods could be... unusal.  
If she did something wrong, or didn't do the assignment right, rather than putting it in his report or punishing her himself, he simply told her to not worry about it. He was a lot more forgiving than other Gems on Homeworld.

...But at the same time, that didn't change the fact that he attacked her days prior when she slapped him.  
That may be the very reason she's not out there, discussing things with him at this very moment.  
Because he can be unstable. Sure, he is normally kind and does not know disipline, but get him angry and he will break at least one part of your body. In fact, her visor was still cracked from the incident.

Yes, it was the work of some other personality in his head, but that doesn't mean he's any less dangerous because of it. He's like a bomb, he just sits there quietly, but set it off...

"PERIDOT IF YOU DON'T OPEN THIS GODDAMN DOOR RIGHT NOW I'M GOING TO RIP YOUR ARM OUT THROUGH YOUR F*CKING EYEHOLE!"

Peridot yelped and scooted away from the door at the sound of the loud screaming and banging coming from the other side. She recogized the voice as Hematite's.

There was a brief pause before he spoke again.

"...Sorry. That was Hematite talking. Do you mind unlocking the door?" He said in a suddenly calm voice.

"...My point exactly..." The Homeworld Gem muttered under her breath, and walked over to the door.

"What do you want?" She asked, refusing to open the door after hearing his yelling.

"Just open the door a bit? Me and Amethyst wanna talk."

"...Are you going to punch me in the face?"

"What? No!" Mike replied. "Just talk."

"Are you going to punch me in the eye?"

"No."

"In the nose?"

No."

"In the mouth?"

"Maybe." Amethyst snickered on the other side, which Peridot didn't find humorous at all.

"Amethyst..." Mike chided the purple Gem on the other side of the door. "Look Peridot, if this is about me suddenly getting angry and attacking you... again... that's not going to happen, okay? I'm trying a lot harder to stay calm all the time."

"Oh, that makes me feel SO much better..." Peridot sarcastically replied.

"You know Peridot, we could always just bust down the door..." Amethyst tried to persuade her.

Peridot thought for a moment. She didn't want that. If there was no blockade for her hideout, then anyone could just waltz in at anytime. And that thought bothered her, so she ever so slightly creaked the door open,  
seeing the faces of Mike and Amethyst waiting.

"Make it quick." She said.

"Listen Peridot..." Mike began. "Me and Amethyst discussed it, and we thought that since you're stuck here with us,  
we should at least make you comfortable. We were thinking of taking you out to have some fun?"

Peridot raised an eyebrow. "Fun...?"

"Yeah, fun." Amethyst replied. "You're so uptight about everything, and quite frankly, it's annoying, considering how many uptight people we've got living here already. You could use some fun, you know what I'm saying?"

"No. Go away." Peridot replied bluntly, ready to close the door.

"Wait, Peridot!" Amethyst said quickly, keeping the green Gem's attention. "Is that the cluster on the floor there?"  
Amethyst pointed to the ground near Peridot, who opened the door further and leaned her whole upper body out.

"Impossible." She said, scanning the ground. "The cluster is way bigger than- gyaaaah!"

The Gem was promptly cut off when she was yanked fully out of the bathroom by Amethyst, and after falling flat on her face, the short Gem proceeded to tie her up with her whip.

"What are you DOING, you clod?!" Peridot yelled and struggled in protest, but Amethyst managed to tie a tight knot, keeping her tied.

"Amethyst, what ARE you doing, exactly?" Mike repeated the question, albeit less hostily.

"I told ya she wouldn't just listen and come with us. This was the only way to get her out here!"

Amethyst slung part of her whip over her shoulder. "Now come on, let's go and do some fun stuff!"

Mike thought about questioning Amethyst's odd methods some more, but decided against it for now and followed her to the door, dragging Peridot, kicking and screaming like a child, with her.

Steven watched with curiousity as the three Gems made there way to the door. Mike was the last to exit, and before he left, turned to Steven and shrugged, showing that he was just about as confused as he is.

When Mike closed the door, Steven turned to face his bedroom, just in time for Lapis to call out.

"What was all that screaming just now...?" She asked in confusion.

Not really knowing how to explain it himself, Steven simply shrugged in response, before heading back up the stairs to his room, and to Lapis, to try and get her full opinions on Peridot and Mike.

And hopefully, they weren't completely negative.

 ** _..._**

 ** _Okay, I got my account back. Sorry for that rude intrusion at the top of the chapter. ^^_**

 ** _... #SorryNotSorryBitches_**

 ** _-Hematite._**

 ** _S_** ** _ee you all in the next chapter!_**

 ** _...If I don't delete it first._**

 ** _-Hematite._**


	21. Chapter 20: Trust

_**Ignore that Hematite hacking thing last time. Just a little non-canon fun.**_  
 _ **So, chapter 20! That's awesome, I didn't really think we'd get this far.**_  
 _ **(I know technically it's 21, because of the prologue, but whatever.) So, I figured I would treat you guys with a hint of backstory on Mike's end.**_  
 _ **Enjoy the chapter! And as always, reviews are appreciated!**_

 _ **...**_

Mike and Amethyst walked through the mostly repaired Beach City Funland, Amethyst still dragging Peridot along.  
And by mostly repaired, that meant that the holes that were previously burned through the docks by the corrupted Gem had wooden boards placed over them until they could be fully repaired.  
Very flimsy indeed, but sturdy nonetheless.

Despite being quite late at night, there was still quite a number of people around, playing the games and riding the rides.

The two Gems came to a stop in the middle of the dock. Mike spoke first, to Amethyst.

"Okay Amethyst, I'm just wondering..." He began. "It was unneccessary enough when you tied up Peridot and dragged her her by force after little attempts at persuading her, but was the duct tape really neccessary?"

Amethyst raised an eyebrow and looked at Peridot, who indeed had several strips of silver duct tape over her mouth.

The green Gem glared at her malicously.

"Course it was!" Amethyst replied non-chalantly. "Did you hear how loud she was being? Also, just sayin', her profanity meter is WAAY up there."

Amethyst gave a tug to her whip. "Ain't that right, Peri?" She asked the Homeworld Gem jokingly.

"Mmmmph!" Of course, Peridot could only reply with muffled yells, so any attempt at a retort was impossible.

Mike clearly wasn't happy with her methods.

"Why do you even carry around tape, anyway?" He asked with mild annoyance.

"Why not?" Amethyst replied. "You know what they say, duct tape's never not useful!"

"Who says that?"

"Everyone!"

Mike made a sound of disgust. "Come on, Amethyst. She's never going to enjoy our company if you treat her like this!  
Now untie her!"

Amethyst chuckled. "Ah, fine, fine. I'm just messing with her." She said, before ripping the tape off of Peridot's mouth.

"Yaaouch!" She yelled in discomfort, before lashing at the purple Gem. "YOU! You're insane! This is abduction! Untie me right now, you pint-sized CLOD!"

"Woah, she is MAD!" Amethyst exclaimed. "Sorry dude, I'd untie you myself, but I'm worried you'd take my arm off with your teeth."

She looked at Mike.

"I'm just gonna go grab some cotton candy, you can untie her, right?"

Mike nodded. "Sure..." He said, as Amethyst walked off.

When she was gone, Mike knelt down to Peridot and began untying her and attempted to apologize.

"Peridot, I'm SO sorry about this. Amethyst didn't say she was going to drag you here like this..."

"Just untie me, and throw this cursed whip into the ocean." She ordered.

"Sorry." Mike repeated. "I swear this wasn't my idea. I just wanted to try and get you to have some fun."

"Well, maybe you'll think twice before asking that THING for assistance." She spat. "She's already succeeded in making the trip completely uncomfortable and unbearable. How DARE she try and silence me?!"

"...Well, you were saying some violent things..."

"Oh, bite me."

After some effort, Mike managed to undo the tight knot on the whip, and tossed it away onto the floor,  
where it quickly dissapated.

"Sorry." Mike repeated for a third time.

"Just stop. At the very least, I'm not tied up like an animal anymore." She stated. "Now, WHY have you brought me to this... "Funland", as you call it?"

Mike sighed as he helped Peridot to her feet.  
This was no the way he wanted to start this.

He understood Amethyst's attempt at humor, but it only made Peridot more angry, and that was only going to make this more difficult.

"Because, Peridot. You need to have some fun! Ever since you started living with the Gems, you've just been locking yourself in that small room. You need to have fun, to let loose, you know?"

Peridot dusted herself off. "Why do you even care?"

"...What?"

"I said, why do you even care? All you ever do is be nice to me, despite the fact that it's completely unneccessary!  
Even on Homeworld! I'd mess something up occasionally, and you would just say, "Oh, don't worry about it." Why?  
Don't get me wrong, though. Quite frankly, I think I deserve the praise I get from you. But why do you even care?"

Mike shook his head. "Peridot, I don't know what you're trying to say..." He said, confused.

"What I'm saying is... bah, how can you not see it? Yes, you are defective, but that doesn't change the fact that you're a Hematite, and I'm a Peridot! I'm a technician, and you're a warrior! Why would you even care in the slightest about me? You've always been this way, Hematite. You know how things worked on Homeworld.  
I would fail an assignment, and you would put it in your report and send it to my manager, and I'd get punished!

...But instead, you would always intentionally leave it out. Why would you do that? There was no benefit to you getting me out of trouble, so why bother?"

Mike rubbed the back of his head. "Why are you even asking me this?"

"Because it bothers me!" Peridot nearly shouted. "Just... the way you're so nice and kind and considerate to me,  
when I've never treated you with so much as even a hint of respect! That annoys me! You have literally have NO reason to be doing it! Even now, the only thing I've done was keep Jasper from shattering you! And even then, I mocked you afterwards! So why, Hematite, WHY, are you so darn nice to me?!"

Mike went silent for a moment.

Even with the bustle of the humans yelling on the rides around them, and the loud buzzing of nearby arcade machines,  
Mike and Peridot's world seemed to go completey silent, if ever so briefly.

Mike observed Peridot's face, and went back on her words. The way she described her emotions... it was odd.  
She wasn't saying, "You treat me nicely even though I don't deserve it," she was saying...

"You treat me nicely and that confuses me..."

He immediately understood what she meant by it, and therefore, he understood what he had to tell her.  
The Gem motioned to the nearby bench.

"Peridot... sit down." He said politely, to which Peridot obeyed and sat on the bench, Mike joining her right after.

Mike looked directly into Peridot's visor-clad eyes, so as to establish what he was going to say wasn't a lie.

"Look, Peridot... I get what you're talking about. This isn't some complicated thing about me giving you kindness and praise you don't deserve... this is just you being confused about it, and I can understand that.  
From the very day we met, I've always overlooked any errors you made in the assignments I escorted you on.  
And you're just wondering why I did that. It bothers you, because you want to know. That's okay.

I know you've never been one to express emotions, but you're expressing them now, and that's good.  
If you really want to know why I've always treated you with respect, and kindness, I can tell you.

Is that what you want?"

No snarky remark from Peridot. Instead, she just nodded her head slowly, curiousity burning in her eyes.

Mike nodded back. He thought for a moment how he should begin, before beginning his explanation.

"Peridot... you keep any emotions you have bottled up. I can tell. And I understand it. Lots of Gems are that way.  
We think... if we repress our emotions, that it will make us stronger. Because all of us were born with the thought that emotions hold us back. And that's why so many of us have these emotions that we should let out, but don't.

That's how you are. You have so many thoughts swimming through your head right now. About the Crystal Gems,  
about Yellow Diamond, about Jasper, about me... about how all of us have done something to you that you didn't like.  
And you feel that expressing that pain will make you weaker. And even if you wanted to, you feel like there's no one to discuss it with. I know how that feels. To feel alone. To have so many emotions that you can't let out.

It was my entire life, and I'm sure it was yours, too. So... here's what I'm going to do."

He placed a hand on Peridot's shoulder, who looked at it with distaste, but didn't make him remove it.

"I'm going to just... let some of those emotions come out. I'm going to tell you why I was so eager to compliment you and give you respect and kindness, and in doing so, I hope I can establish a trust between us, so that... hopefully,  
if you feel like you ever need someone to talk to, about something that makes you uncomfortable, if someone has done something to wrong you, or... if you ever need a shoulder to cry on. I've never seen you cry. But you're not the type of Gem who's never cried before, I know that. I want you to be able to trust me, Peridot, so maybe, maybe,  
you won't feel so alone in this unfamiliar world. So... here it is."

He removed his hand from the Homeworld Gem's shoulder. The two stared face to face, eye to eye.  
Mike looked into her eyes, intent on giving her all the details he could, and Peridot looked into his eyes, intent on listening to whatever he had to say.

"Peridot. I was a lonely Gem growing up. Well... I was already full size when I was born, but... you know what I mean.  
Most Gems on Homeworld have many Gems they could discuss with. Partners. Aquaintances. Servants.  
I only had one Gem who cared about me. Her name was Tourmaline. She was a Watermelon Tourmaline Gem.  
She was so beautiful... her red and green colors, with her hair, and her freckles, and her soft eyes...  
It would be an understatement to say that she was a pretty Gem. She had to have been one of, if not the most,  
serene, kind, and beautiful Gems that ever allowed themselves to become a part of my life.

She's the reason that I'm the Gem I am today. She wasn't just a mentor to me. She was a friend... no, much more than that. She was family to me. Not only did she teach me everything I needed to know about Gems, how our bodies worked, all of that, but she taught me compassion. Kindness. Positive emotions that were stated by Homeworld, by the Diamond Authority, stated as weaknesses.

And she saved my life."

Peridot listened to every detail. Mike had never revealed much about his past to her before.  
She was so curious to keep hearing more.

"You know how defects work. If you are one, you're shattered as soon as it's discovered.  
If any other Gem had found me in the Kindergarten that day... well, I wouldn't be here right now.

But... Tourmaline was the one who found me in the Earth's Kindergarten. She found me, balled up in the hole I was grown in, and you know what she did?"

Peridot kept listening.

"She watched me cower. She saw that I was scared. Alone. Confused. I had no idea what I was, I had no idea what she was, and I had no idea where I was.

Her duty was to shatter any defects she comes across. But when she looked into my face... my paranoid, anxious,  
scared to death face... she couldn't do it. Instead, she took me, brought me to Homeworld, brought me to Yellow Diamond... and convinced her to let me live.

After that, she taught me everything I needed to know about Gems. That we don't die from mere stabs through the abdomen like any othe creature likely would, that we instead reform our bodies. Rebuild ourselves.  
She taught me how to fight. How to summon my weapon. How to use it. Everything.

And then... years later, when I was a capable warrior, and a capable technician... she went away a lot."

"...Why?" Peridot couldn't help but ask.

"Why else? Her work was done. She taught me everything. After that, she had no reason to continue spending all of her time with me. So... she left Homeworld often, to do her job. Find Gems, bring them back,  
or shatter them. And... I couldn't go with her anymore. I had my own assignments. With the war happening,  
I was either fighting for my life on the battlefield, or doing more simple assignments, like repairing warships, Gem Destabilizers, things like that. My point is, I rarely saw her anymore. She only gave brief visits, and even then,  
they weren't authorized, so she couldn't stay long.

Heh... I never got to say goodbye to her before I came here. She'll probably never find out.  
Yellow Diamond will likely just tell her I perished on an assignment... and I'll never see her again."

Mike rubbed his eyes. "Sorry... I got off topic for a moment there. I'll... I'll just continue."

"Anyways, after that, Yellow Diamond would constantly assign me Gems to assist me on missions.  
And they would all reject it. Because everyone knew what I was... and they hated it.  
Not even the Pearls or the Rubies or the other Peridot's would agree to work with me.  
And Yellow Diamond would be fine with that. She couldn't care less if I died on a mission somewhere.  
She didn't care about me... she never did.  
All I really did have were superiors that reviewed my work and reports. They didn't treat me any better.

To have everyone shun you... to be treated like you're some kind of monster... I've never felt alone in my entire life.  
Even Hematite, my other personality... he hated me. He still hates me. He would rarely talk to me, and when he did, it was just insults. Heh... I couldn't even find comfort in my own thoughts... how pathetic is that?

The only real comfort I had was all the files of Gems I went through.  
I would just use all of my spare time, cycling through Gem files, learning about all of them, their abilities, their weapons,  
anything I could learn. It made me feel less lonely, just knowing all of that stuff. It made me feel like... like I had learned it by talking to those Gems about it.

I thought I'd never have that feeling again. Happiness. Optimism. Those things almost dissapeared completely."

He looked up at her. "And then Yellow Diamond found someone who actually accepted to work with me."

"You, Peridot."

Peridot looked down. She had a feeling she knew where he was going with this.

"When I found out that there was someone who knew about my defectiveness, and they didn't care...  
it made me so happy. The fact that there was someone who didn't mind the very fact that made every other Gem hate me... I was so happy. I felt like... like I could finally have someone to talk to. Someone I could spend time with... someone who could be my friend."

Mike paused when he saw the notable discomfort in Peridot's face.  
It almost looked like she wanted to leave. Like she didn't want to be here right now.

"Peridot... I can stop, if you want me to. It's okay."

"...No. Keep going." She replied. No sarcasm in her tone. No bitterness. Just low and calm.

Mike nodded slowly. "Okay."

"And then... she introduced me to you. I was surprised. Genuinly. Peridot's are looked down upon by most,  
but for me, to know that a Gem with such intellect, such smarts, didn't care about a defect being... well, defective...  
It made me feel honored. And then I met you face to face.

You never brought it up. Not once. You really didn't care. You saw my skin. My eyes. My defectiveness.  
Not once did you act uncomfortable. Even when you acted rude, it wasn't because of that.  
You were just putting up a tough front. Peridot... you think that I treat you with respect and kindness for no reason.  
That you did nothing to earn it. But you did. You... you just didn't know it. You know what it was?"

Peridot waited for an answer.

"You made me feel like... I wasn't worthless. Like I wasn't a burden. You made me feel normal. You insulted me a lot. You refused to call me Mike. But I didn't mind. I was just happy that I had someone to talk to. Someone to socialize with.  
Someone... who could be my friend. You gave that to me, and so I did everything I could to make you feel special,  
make sure you weren't punished for small mess ups, took the blame for them, complimented you at every turn, so that one day... I hoped we could be good friends."

"Did that answer your question...?" Mike asked. His eyes were a little red. He had kept trying to stop himself from shedding tears, yet he still barely managed to keep his calm, kind demeanor.

Peridot lowered her head, and ran her prosthetic fingers through her hair.  
All of that, was... not what she expected to hear. At all. That story... it... didn't make her feel good.  
It made her feel... bad.

That's how he really felt. All that time. All that kindness. All of her rudeness.  
And all he wanted... was to feel normal... and to have a friend?  
He gave her all those compliments. He was so kind to her. He always covered for her when she failed something.  
All those broken circuits. All those failed power sources that overloaded.

He did all of that... just because he valued her that much as a Gem. And as... a friend.  
Her. A Peridot. A technician. And him, a Hematite, a warrior... and he valued her that much?  
And all she's ever done is insult him. When all he wanted was simply to not be alone.

"You clod... how did... why did... why didn't you ever say anything?" She asked, finding trouble placing the words.

"...I don't know. I guess I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable and leave."

Peridot shook her head, and looked back up at him. "Why now, then? You have friends now. The Steven, the Crystal Clods...  
why are you still trying to be nice to me when you have Gems who treat you with respect?"

Mike put his hand on the conflicted Gem's shoulder once more. "Peridot... that doesn't mean I'm just gonna forget about you. If it wasn't for you, I may have just closed myself off from anyone and everyone.  
I could have been a complete social outcast. Nobody would have been able to even look at me without being disgusted. And heck... if it wasn't for you... Yellow Diamond would never have sent me to Earth, and I never would have had any of this happen to me... I just realized that."

He gave a lighthearted chuckle, and looked Peridot right in her eyes.

"It's all thanks to you that I'm living in a house with Gems I can call friends. Thanks to you that I finally stood up to Yellow Diamond, and thanks to you... that I'm a Crystal Gem now."

Peridot said nothing.

"And you never even realized it... Peridot, I have every reason to be trying to make you comfortable here on Earth.  
You changed my life for the better... it's only fair that I try and do the same."

He took his hand of her shoulder again.

"Peridot. I don't want you to apologize for anything you've ever said or done to me. You don't need to.  
You gave me a friend when I needed one. You helped me realize what side I should be fighting for...  
and heck, you saved my life from Jasper. You've done so much for me, you have absolutely NOTHING to apologize for.  
I just want to return the favor, and make you happy. And now... I feel like I owe you more than ever now.

It's my fault that you're stuck here. I hate what Homeworld has done over the centuries, and I hate it now.  
I can't condone their methods anymore. But it was still your home. And... I took that away from you.  
You've been so bitter towards me and everyone else here because they all played a hand in it.  
The Crystal Gems destroyed your ship and stranded you, and when I was supposed to bring you, Jasper and Lapis back, I spoke against Yellow Diamond, and she took her anger out on you.

You can say whatever you want Peridot, but I know that it's my fault you're stuck here forever.  
So I figure... I should try and make you happy here, you know? You made me feel like I wasn't some freak who would never have any friends and never amount to anything, and I'd hate to see you be miserable for the rest of your existence. You've done some bad things, like trying to kill Steven and the other Crystal Gems, but...

Everyone makes mistakes. And you were just doing what you thought was right. Look, I'm not going to try and force my beliefs down your throat and force you to become a Crystal Gem or anything.  
I just want to show you that Earth isn't a bad place, that it's a place you can have fun on. That you can enjoy.  
That it's a planet you will want to live on."

Mike paused for a moment.

"Was that the answer you were looking for?" He asked the green Gem, who looked conflicted.

She looked to be trying to process that very lengthy explanation.  
Mike had never said a word of it to her before, regarding both his past and his own thoughts on her,  
so he understood her surprise and confusion, seeing as how she always just saw him as a partner, not a friend or anything like that.

Looking at her face, the Gem feared he may have revealed too much, and made her uncomfortable.  
He let out a small breath, barely audible by even himself, tried to shake off his own conflicting emotions, and spoke again.

"Look, I'm guessing all that info made you uncomfortable. If you want me to just take you back to the house..."

"No." She stopped him quickly.

Mike quickly zipped his hole, curiously wondering why Peridot rejected the offer.  
Perhaps his explanation got through to her?

The Homeworld Gem took a brief moment to find the words before she spoke herself.

"That's not necessary. Hematite, that explanation you just gave me was... not what I anticipated.  
I assumed you were just going to tell me that your actions were simply a kind gesture on your part.  
But what you told me was... surprising, to say the least. I'm not sure on what I should say in response to this,  
as I've never been given such... high praise before, so... allow me to give you a simple gesture of my... appreciation, of this relevation."

With that being said, the Gem bit her lower lip nervously. She questioned for a moment if she should actually do what she was about to do, and if it was even an appropriate gesture in this situation.  
But it was really the only thing she could think of, since anything she said would probably turn into an insult.

So hesitantly, Peridot slowly lifted her limb-enhanced arms up, to which Mike looked at them curiously.  
Peridot looked at her arms, and looked at Mike, who was just now getting a hint as to what she was about to do.  
After giving it one more bit of thought, Peridot decided on it, and threw her arms around the confused Gem,  
and pulled him into a rather tight hug.

Mike's eyes went wide with surprise at the gesture. He looked around in confusion at the sudden hug,  
unsure what to do. He had been embraced like this before, more recently with Steven, but in a situation like this,  
with a Gem like Peridot, he wasn't sure if he should hug back.

He could tell Peridot was nervous, as she was hugging him rather tightly, which in conjunction with her very hard limb enhancers, made the embrace a bit stiff, but he didn't mind. Quite frankly, he was happy Peridot didn't just slap him across the mouth... again.

Peridot herself was feeling rather abashed. Never before had she given such a gesture to anyone before,  
and she was feeling very nervous doing it for the first time. Quite frankly she just wanted to get it over with.  
Although she had to admit to herself... hearing all those things about him, those confessions... it made her...  
not hate him. In fact, it almost made her pity him.

And it made her think back to those times they worked on machines together, or something else.  
Those times she insulted him over something. Whenever she broke something, it was totally fine.  
Whenever he broke something, he would put it in his report and likely get punished for it.  
And if he took the blame for her mistakes, then that probably would have just made his punishment worse.

Those thoughts in mind, Peridot suddenly felt like her... hug, wasn't good enough.  
Tons of beatings at the hands of his manager didn't seem worth just a measly embrace.  
But she didn't have any heartfelt speeches to give Mike. She wasn't the... spokesperson he was.  
Having that in mind, the Gem found herself with only two simple words.  
As she embraced him, she found herself uttering the words quietly to him.

"Thank... you..."

She said it slowly and hesitantly, through clentched teeth, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Mike heard it, though. And upon hearing those two words come out of the Homeworld Gem, Mike couldn't help but crack a small smile on his face, and didn't have any regrets when he hugged Peridot back, and gave her a friendly pat on the back.

It was a purely platonic hug, of course. Mike was happy at the fact that she had taken the news very well.  
He hoped now, after telling her all of this, that maybe, just maybe, she'd let him help her now.  
After all, that's what friends do. Assuming she even wants to be friends.

"Well well, what's going on here?"

Peridot and Mike's eyes went wide at the voice they heard, quickly realizing it wasn't either of theirs.  
The two, still embracing, looked and saw Amethyst standing there, holding cotton candy in her hands,  
a smirk on her face.

The two Gems looked at each other, and realizing the Gem had been observing them hugging, quickly pulled away from each other and moved to opposite sides of the bench.

"W-we weren't doing what you think!" Peridot stuttered. "I was just trying to make him feel good!"

Mike could've facepalmed at the Gem's not so helpful phrasing.

Amethyst snorted. "Looks like I can't leave you two lovebirds alone for long, can I?"

"Hey, shut up!" Peridot shouted. "You saw that embrace completely out of context! You don't even know why we were even doing it!"

"I think I have a pretty good idea..." The Gem chuckled jokingly.

Peridot scowled and growled under her breath, the Gem visibly annoyed by Amethyst's mere presence at this point.

"Alright, relax, I come in peace." She said to the green Gem, whilst handing Peridot her own cotton candy.

Peridot observed the sugary treat suspiciously. "And... what am I supposed to with this?"

"Uh, you eat it?" Amethyst replied, taking a bite out of her own cotton candy before handing Mike his own.

"So, I was thinking," Amethyst said, chewing the soft treat. "That we should hit up the arcade first.  
How's that sound?"

Mike took a bite out of his cotton candy, admiring the sweetness, before replying. "Sounds good."

The two Gems looked at Peridot, who had yet to try the soft treat.  
Peridot looked at the two Gems, who looked expectant.

She thought about it for a moment. Coming into this (which was literally out of her control), she would have just ran and hid as soon as she was unbound.

But... considering Mike's very high praise of her (and how she loves praise), and seeing as how Amethyst appeared to have made a peace offering with this... "cotton candy"...

She decided to give them a chance to impress her.

"Very well." She agreed. "Show me this, "arcade."

"Follow me." Amethyst stated with a smirk before heading off, Mike getting up and following behind.  
Peridot stood up, but before following her escorts, took a look at her cotton candy.  
Slightly reluctantly, the Homeworld Gem took a small bite out of the treat.

...It did taste sweet.

"And this is my Gamecube." Steven told Lapis, who was seated on his bed, staring out the window at the sea.  
The young Gem picked up the controller for his gaming console, trying to show her his possesions in an attempt to make her feel more comfortable.

"You can play a bunch of fun games on it, and this is the controller here. All of the buttons do different things in different games, but A is pretty much always the jump button."

"...That's nice." Lapis spoke, her thoughts elsewhere.

"One of my favorites is Animal Crossing. It's a game where you're a human living in a town full of animals and you're supposed to make the town fun to live in!"

No response this time. Lapis simply stared at the dark ocean with a thoughtful expression on her face.

Thinking she hadn't heard him, Steven continued.

"Maybe you could try playing it?" He offered. "It's a really good game to help you relax."

"I saw them." Lapis ignored the offer and spoke low.

Hearing this, Steven set down the game controller. "Who's them?" He asked.

"Peridot. And the other one. The one in black. They were here, weren't they?"

...Well, so much for easing her into it, Steven thought.

Knowing she was clearly talking of Peridot and Mike, Steven walked over and sat on the bed.

"Yeah... how'd you know?" He admitted.

"I'm not deaf, Steven." Lapis replied. "Her yelling hurt my ears, of course I saw them leave. I even asked you about it. You avoided the question."

"Oh... I didn't know you knew who was yelling."

"Why were they here? And why is she not bubbled with Jasper?" She asked, agitated.  
Her tone sounded like she might lash out at any moment, so Steven went on delicately.

"Well... Peridot WAS going to be bubbled, but the Gems decided not to when she offered to tell them about the cluster. So... now she's... living with us."

Lapis breathed out her nose in an irritated fashion, not happy at all hearing the words "Living with us."

"What's the cluster?" She asked as a side question, although she didn't seem to interested when she asked.

"It's... a really big Gem monster. She told us where it is and what it will do if it forms."

"So she told you about it. So you can imprison her now." Lapis said coldly.

Steven rubbed his arm, realizing Lapis indeed wasn't going to make this easy.

"About that..." He started, stopping for a brief moment when he saw that Lapis was clenching her jaw.  
He thought back for a moment about Mike's advice to go slow and be delicate, and continued.

"Peridot... she's... not as bad as you think. I mean, she was bad. But she's trying to be a better person now, Lapis.  
We're trying to teach her to be good. That what she's been doing is wrong. Because she doesn't know it's wrong... do you get that?"

Steven waited for an answer, rather nervously. He noticed Lapis' eye twitch out of the corner of his.  
That, with her clenched jaw, he could tell she was definitely angry right now.  
Lapis continued staring straight out the window, not making any eye contact, and let out a big breath through her nose.

"No, Steven. I don't get that. Look, I understand what you're trying to do. But it's not going to work.  
A lot has changed on Homeworld since I lived there. Blue Diamond's gone, Yellow Diamond rules everything,  
and their technology has advanced beyond anything I understand. But there's one thing that hasn't changed."

She paused to find words Steven could understand.

"The way they do things. All Gems are taught everything at birth. Not just about themselves. How Homeworld does things. How they carve out planets and colonize them for their own benefit. To make more Gems and become more powerful. To become the strongest force in the universe. That's not something you can just erase in a few days, Steven."

Steven tried to interject, but Lapis continued, cutting him off.

"Unless it's something you rejected initially, you'll grow into it over the years, and you'll be convinced that other planets don't matter. While I couldn't care less about this planet, I didn't think what Homeworld did was right. I still don't. But Peridot and Jasper obviously think it's right. Gems like them don't care if it is the wrong thing. They just think what they do is right because it's their method. They don't care about anyone or anything but themselves.

I only went along with it because Homeworld was... well, my home. It's not like I could just polish ships or anything.  
But my point is, you're just wasting your time. And if you don't take it from me, then you're just going to learn it the hard way. And that'll be when Peridot eventually stabs you in the back."

She said that all with such casuality, Steven felt unsettled.

"But how do you know Peridot would betray us? She-

"She tried to obliterate you with that warship!" She said, raising her voice. "She tried to kill you with absolutely no remorse! That's not just going to go away by being nice!"

Steven flinched at her yelling.  
Lapis looked away from him and sighed.

"Steven... I care about you. And I don't want to see you get hurt by someone who's already hurt me.  
You have to realize... Peridot is not a good person. You're smart enough to have imprisoned Jasper.  
But you don't want to risk your life with Peridot. Because if you're wrong, you might not live to make another mistake."

Steven refused to believe it. If Peridot wanted him dead, she would have let Jasper do it.  
Even if she was just saving Mike, she could have killed him afterwards. But she didn't.  
She beat Jasper, and she carried him and everyone's Gems back to the house and waited for them all to recover. If she was going to betray them, she would have done it.

"Lapis, it's okay to be worried about me. I know... I know you're still mad at her. You have every reason to be.  
Peridot's done some bad things. She almost killed me and the Gems, and she's hurt you.  
The Gems didn't think she deserved a second chance at first. But when she saved my friend's lives, including mine,  
from Jasper... they're all giving her a chance. Can't you? I'm not forcing you to just forget about what she's done. But... she's earned a second chance in my friends eyes. Couldn't you give her a chance?"

"...No. I'm sorry Steven, but... no. I can't just up and forgive her. Not after what she's done.  
People like her don't just change. I don't trust her. I won't trust her. And if she even so much as tries to lay a single finger on you..."

 _"I will kill her."_

 _ **...**_

 _ **Hope you guys enjoyed! See you in the next chapter!**_


	22. Chapter 21: At The Seams

**_Hello, everybody! Miss me? Thought I abandoned the story, didn't you? Well of course not! I just needed to find the motivation!_**

 ** _And leaked SU promos are definitely a perfect way to find it!_**

 ** _I apologize extremely for the LONG-ASS wait, but without any further adieu, let's get started!_**

 ** _As always, reviews are very appreciated!_**

* * *

Mike rubbed his aching Gem as he, Amethyst and Peridot walked into the arcade, about the same as the last time as he was in it. Loud buzzing machines all around, including that whack-a-mole game he played last time.  
Right before he fought a corrupted Gem outside which destroyed a lot of the pier.

The Gem rubbed his nose, thinking back on the incident. It wasn't often he saw a corrupted Gem,  
especially one of the one he fought's nature, what with the noxious acid it spit at him.  
Humans with their arachnophobia would have fainted at the sight of it.

Now that he thought about it though, he never actually put the bubbled Gem of it somewhere secure.  
As far as he knew, he left it in Steven's house somewhere. Hopefully nobody popped it by mistake, because it's acid would probably burn through the floor of the wooden house.

But he quickly forgot about it and continued scanning the area. Observing the machines, like "Ski-Ball", "Meat Beat Mania", and so on silently. He hadn't said a word since they entered the arcade. He just looked at the games as Amethyst explained them to him and Peridot, who looked a bit curious at each one.

In truth, he didn't say anything because he felt stupid. He felt stupid about revealing so much about his past to Peridot. He told her in an attempt to make her trust him more, and while it seemed to succeed, he regretted the decision immediately.

While Peridot appeared to be a little grateful, he hated himself for telling her anyway. He came off as a completely desperate and lonely fool. On Earth they say letting some things out can help you to get past them, but all it did was paint him in a rather pathetic light, when he needed to be strong. And the more times he went back on those memories of Homeworld, the more he wanted to put his head through a wall.

His past problems were better something he lock away and forget about rather than discuss them with someone who couldn't care less. Yes, she hugged him and he appreciated that, but the only reason Peridot hugged him was because he praised her on Homeworld. And if there's something that every Gem knows about Peridots,  
it's that they adore praise and attention.

But at the very least, he could find comfort in knowing that he hadn't revealed everything about his days there. After all, some things were best left forgotten. And he prefered it that way.  
But he digresses. Now wasn't the time for this. Right now he needed to try and make Peridot happy.

...And eventually find a way to fix his god-forsaken Gemstone so he doesn't drop dead like a fly.  
Ugh, if there was one thing that the Gem evied about the human body, it's that they didn't have to worry about a Gemstone getting broken and killing them, or worse. And it didn't help that he had this irritating ring in his right ear.

Amethyst seemed to notice his apparent discomfort and cut off from her spiel and addressed the Gem.

"Y'alright there? You're clutching your chest pretty freaking hard."

Her statement made Mike realize that he was digging his fingers rather deep into his skin.  
Trying to ignore the pain, he removed his hand and let it drop to his side. "I'm fine." He said rather quickly.

Amethyst looked at his chest for a second, but shrugged and continued her descriptions.  
Mike recieved a look from Peridot, but shook his head as indication to not say another word about it.  
The last thing he needed was to tell Amethyst or the others that he was cracked and probably slowly dying.

Especially with Steven's apparent healing powers gone. The boy would probably just blame himself for not being able to help him, and lord knows Mike didn't want him to think anything like that.  
Or, he could possibly not die... and likely become corrupted, which would probably be even a harder blow to the young Gem. Although to be honest, he'd probably put his sword through his Gem before that could happen.

...Lord, how he hated being this cynical. But in a situation like his, it was hard not too. It's hard to stay positive 24/7 when you have a fatal injury, with a 95% chance of death, AND have no idea how to fix it, it's reasonable for him to not be in the best mood. And what happens the other 5 percent of the time?

Corruption.

It didn't help that this place was where he was when he fought that corrupted Gem from days ago.  
The last thing he needed now was for corrupted Gem acid getting inside his broken-open Gemstone.

"This one right here?" Amethyst pointed to an arcade cabinet that depicted a yellow circle on the screen. "This is Pac-Man. Kinda boring if you ask me, but it's apparently a classic, so... yeah."

Peridot observed the machine from the front, and then the side. On the front screen, it depicted Pac-Man as a simple yellow circle with a cut, but on the side of the machine, it showed a yellow blob with red eyes and legs.  
Peridot looked between the two a few times before asking Amethyst about it.

"Why does this "Pack-Man" look nothing like he does on this screen than on the side of this device?"

Amethyst shrugged. "I dunno. All games back then had like, the budget of a nickel. It was probably hard enough to even draw the circle."

"I see. And why is he named "Pack-Man?" Is he... packing something?"

"I have no idea, he was made by Japan, maybe it means "Star." They're always naming game guys weird stuff. I think there's a guy dressed like an elf called Zelda, or something."

Neither of them understood anything the short Gem just said. They had no idea what a 'Japan' or an 'elf' or a 'Zelda' was,  
but Peridot at least nodded and pretended to understand, while Mike sort of just conked out for a moment.

"You wanna give it a try?" Amethyst questioned the green Gem as she fiddled with the joystick on the game machine.

"...I'm trying. It's broken." She replied, moving the stick in all directions, looking for results to no avail.

"You have to put in a coin first." Amethyst stated, taking out a silver coin and sliding it into the slot on the machine's front. "Now try it."

At the Gems behest, Peridot moved the joystick again, to the right, only this time Pac-Man obeyed the order and moved to the right... directly into a pink ghost, causing the Pac-Man to wither away before the words Game Over appeared on the screen.

Peridot blinked. "...Did... did I win?"

Amethyst snorted. "You're not supposed to touch the ghosts. You have to grab all the white dots and cherries if you wanna win."

"What are, "Cherries?" Peridot asked.

"...The red things." Amethyst replied, slipping another coin into the machine. "Now, give it another go."

Again, Peridot moved the stick, to the left this time, and watched as the yellow circle appeared to eat the white orbs on the screen. However, Peridot was confused again when she ran Pac-Man into a blue line, and he ceased moving.

"What do I do here?" She questioned hastily, as the red ghost made a beeline for the yellow circle.

"Uh... that's a wall. Just move around it."

Peridot moved Pac-Man down and to the left, with the red ghost still in pursuit.

"Why won't that red thing go away?!" She barked in annoyance.

Amethyst shook her head at her question. "Here, let me just show you so you don't have to ask a million questions."  
She bumped Peridot out of her way and took control of the game herself. She maneuvered around a few walls and around some of the ghosts, grabbed a big white orb, and proceeded to eat the red ghost pursuing the yellow character.

"See? Just get the big white balls and eat the ghosts. Simple."

Peridot scoffed. "Consuming an apparition? Do humans even understand simple logic? This game is stupid."

* * *

 ** _Two hours later..._**

Level 256. Level 256.

It had been two hours. TWO. LONG. HOURS, of just standing still, while Peridot blindly played away at the videogame,  
not pausing for even a second. Amethyst had fallen asleep after the first hour and a half.

It was all fun and normal, if there wasn't a Gem who was getting increasingly uncomfortable.  
Mike was impatiently tapping his foot, taking quick breaths, his eyes darting around the arcade, a hand on his aching chest area around his Gemstone... and he wasn't doing too well.

Mike, face twitching, arms crossed, snapped his head in the direction of Peridot.  
In those two hours, his Gem began went from a mild ache to an actual pain, and the high pitched ringing sound in his ear didn't seem go away.  
The Gem uncrossed his arms and rather quickly walked up and tapped Peridot on the shoulder.

"Hey." He said.

"Huh." Peridot replied quickly, not even paying attention to her stressed aquaintance.

Mike made a face. He didn't want to be ignored right now. Not at a time like this.  
He's hurt. He's stressed. He's angry. And all these idiots could do was sit in an arcade and mess around with the most basic device he's ever seen in his life.

...Where did that come from? Lord, now he's just

"Peridot, look at me." He asked, trying to keep his cool and failing.

"I can't." Peridot's eyes stayed on the game. "I'm SO close to beating this game, I think. I can not stop now!"

Mike sighed. He should have figured. Neither him nor Amethyst were able to get the green technician to budge,  
as she was much too focused on her "Pac-Man" game.

"Please Peridot, I think my condition is getting..."

Mike leaned away from his green comrade. A sudden increase in noise in his right ear kept him from finishing his sentence.  
A high pitched ringing. And it was increasingly getting louder.

Mike cringed and covered his ear. It didn't stop. It didn't stop because the sound was, of course, coming from inside his ear, so covering it would prove fruitless.

It got louder. And louder.

Mike took a step back, getting a little light headed. He stumbled. His head hurt now. Without really thinking of it too much, the Gem made a quick walk out of the arcade, holding the side of his pained skull.

He walked, and the more he did, the louder the ringing got, and the more his head hurt.  
Trying not to make a scene out of it, he walked to where he thought there would be no people.

"Ow..." Mike muttered lowly as he came to a stop, the ringing in his ear loud as ever now.

"Uhg..." The pain continued.

Mike clentched both sides of his head. The sharp pain in his skull was as loud as he thought it could be,  
and his head unbearably in as much pain. He couldn't take it anymore.

Louder...

Louder...

Louder...

 _ **"AUGH...!"**_

Mike keeled over and screamed as the ringing in his head was put a stop to by a horrifying squishy, wet explosion in his ear drum.

He attempted to straighten himself, but could only manage to into a bent over position.  
Both of the Gem's hands were now covering his ear, but that couldn't manage to stop the sudden rush of blood.  
Blood oozed from the inside of his ear, drenching his hands and hoodie.

The warm liquid leaked through his fingers and found it's way onto the dock below.  
Mike's breathing was now wheezy, long, and exasperated.

His ear drum blew out. His ear blew out, blood was oozing out, and to further his horror, Mike came to the quick realization that he could no longer hear out of it.

Dear lord... dear gods... he didn't think it was this bad. He thought the ringing would stop eventually, not...not do this...

He needed to calm down... he needed to calm down. Peridot and Amethyst were just inside the arcade.  
It was fine... he was fine. He just needed to observe the damage, and clean the blood off.  
Luckily, there was a nearby mirror leaning on the wall, that was likely supposed to be used for what Amethyst called the _"House of Mirrors..."_ inventive name.

Looking around for any people first, and upon not seeing any, Mike quickly ran over to the mirror and examined his face.

He was not fine.

The Gem thought they'red only be some blood on his hands and head. But it was far, far worse than that.  
There was the aformentioned blood that drenched his head and hands that continued to leak out, at the very least slower, but when he came to his actual face...

It was cracked.

The right side of his face, starting from his bleeding ear, was lined with dark red cracks, resembling what the inside of his Gem looked like when it cracked.  
And that's when he realized it. His ear blowing out, resulting in the blood and cracks... his physical form was _slowly becoming unstable._

He placed a hand over the cracked side of his face. Even then, he could still see the cracks. He could still see his form coming apart by the seams.

He couldn't be seen like this...! But he couldn't just run away somewhere. Where would he even go?  
No... he needed a way to cover his face. A way to hold his form together better.

Something better than his loose black clothes... but what?

"Yo, Mike?!"

 _Amethyst's voice._

 _He didn't have a lot of time._

* * *

 _ **Not much to say here, other than it's good to be back!**_

 _ **See you in the next chapter!**_


	23. Chapter 22: Snap

"Mike? Where'd you go?!" Amethyst shouted, wondering if the black-clad Gem would emerge.  
No immediate response.

"...Man, where is he?" She gazed around the park at the few crowds of people due to the late time.  
None of them were Mike.

Peridot looked around anxiously aswell. She was so wrapped up in her game, (which she beat, by the way) she didn't even notice that Mike had left the arcade. And she was wondering why he suddenly dissapeared, considering he was trying to talk to her not a few moments before.

"No sign of him. Seriously?" Amethyst complained. "...Maybe he was tired of watching you play that outdated-by-like-30-years-  
videogame and wanted to actually do something."

"Please, there is no way that was the reason! You two should be grateful to watch such an amazing playthrough!"

"Don't think so, Peri. That "amazing playthrough" of yours put me to sleep."

"Bite me."

"You bite me."

"Amethyst. Peridot."

The two Gems halted their altercation. Someone had called both their names.  
They looked at eachother, neither knowing who called them.  
Amethyst looked to her left, Peridot looked to her right.

"...You heard that, right?" Came Amethyst to Peridot.

She nodded. "I did."

"...Over here."

The two looked around again. The voice returned, louder this time.

"...There! Look!" Peridot pointed to the behind area of the arcade.  
Amethyst turned around, and made a face when she saw a black gloved hand beckoning the two.  
Peridot looked to Amethyst for her opinion, who only shrugged and went over to where the hand was.  
The tall green Gem followed behind.

As the two approached, the hand dissapeared behind the tent, encouraging the two to pick up their pace.  
Amethyst rounded the corner with Peridot right behind, expecting the mysterious figure to be gone, but were intriqued by what they instead saw.

A male figure.

Amethyst looked him over with mild interest. His attire was... questionable, to say the least.  
His body was covered almost completely, aside from his left hand and some of his neck.  
The right hand of the figure was donned with the black glove that beckoned them, while the rest of his body was covered in a red bodysuit with black flame decals. And on his feet were... black wrestling boots?

But the most intriqing part of his clothing was on his face. Long brown hair hung down all sides of his head,  
except of the front, which she saw clearly as red mask sporting the same black decals as his bodysuit, covering his entire face, effectively hiding his identity.

Peridot raised an eyebrow at the costume, wondering why any person would wear such a thing.  
When the mysterious figure didn't say anything to them, Amethyst decided she'd get some words in.

"...Nice costume you got there, pal. Now, mind telling me what ya want?"

No response. He simply stared back at Amethyst straight in her eye.  
Amethyst couldn't help but let a chuckle out.

"Hehe... you, uh... you gonna say something?"

Still no response. The figure stayed silent, and ever so slightly tilted his head to the side.  
At this point, Amethyst was annoyed.

"Dude, are you gonna say something or what?! You're creeping me out!"

The figure straightened his head.

"...Fooled you, didn't I?"

Amethyst did a double take. "Mike?!"

Peridot made a face. "Hematite?!"

"You know it." He replied. "So, what do you think, Amethyst?"

"What do I think? What are you even supposed to be?" Amethyst crossed her arms.

Mike copied the gesture, and crossed his arms. " Now Amethyst... don't you think you should know a little better about...  
your new tag-team partner, Kane?"

The purple Gem raised both eyebrows. "Ah, so that's what this is?" She asked with interest, looking him over. "Impressive."

"Yeah, I, uh... wanted it to be a surprise! I had this idea for a character, but I wanted to make sure I could hide my identity, like you said I should!"

"Well, you sure as heck did a good job at it. You had us fooled... well, I had a hunch it was you."

"Sure you did."

Amethyst smirked. "Alright, smart guy. If you're so confident, why don't you show me what "Kane" can do?"

She looked at Peridot, who looked on bewildered. "Besides, I was hoping to show Peri my skills in the ring, anyway!"

"What say we defend our titles?"

"Fine, I brought them with me anyways! Let's go right now!"

"Fine!"

Peridot watched the two Gems bicker on as they walked away from the arcade, not paying her any further attention.  
As she watched Amethyst and Mike dressed up in his odd costume, there was only one thought she could process clearly.

What just happened?

 _ **...**_

 ** _LATER..._**

 ** _..._**

"Alright, Peri. This is the place. You impressed yet?" Amethyst asked with arrogance lining her voice.

"There's a gaping hole in the wall." The green Gem pointed out. "It looks like someone just tore it down."

"...Well, the wrestlers gotta enter from somewhere, right?" She replied. Now go sit in one of the chairs over there,  
and watch the magic happen."

Peridot gazed over to the seats with disgust. "Over... there?"

"You see any other seats? Yeah there."

"With humans?"

"With humans."

"...Can't I just... watch from back here?"

"Just go, already." Amethyst gave Peridot a slap on the behind, which earned a squeal from the unsuspecting Gem.

"H-hey! Don't you DARE put your hands on me! Especially not... there!"

Amethyst chortled. "Did I strike a nerve? Sorry bout that. Want a kiss to make it feel better?"

"UGH!" Peridot stormed off to the seats.

"Pfft, you see the look on her face?"

Amethyst waited.

"...Mike?" She looked back to her partner, who had his non-gloved index finger buried in his ear, twisting it around.

"Mike."

"Huh." He replied bluntly.

"You alright there? You seem kinda jumpy."

Mike looked at Amethyst.  
The Gem had to admit, that mask he was wearing was sort of creepy to look at. She couldn't tell what expression he was making, if he was angry, sad, or just making a straight face. It was like just looking at a emotionless shell, almost.

He looked at his finger in his ear, and realizing Amethyst was referring to it, pulled it out of his ear quickly.

"No, I'm good, I'm fine. I just feel like dying."

"...What?"

"I said my ear hurts."

The cheeky Gem turned completely to look at Mike's masked form.  
His brooding tone, mixed with his suddenly odd behavior, were definitely signs that something wasn't quite right with him. And his foot was tapping constantly, as if he was just itching to kick something.

"Are you... sure you're good? Cause you're sure as heck not acting like it..."

But she didn't get an answer from him. He left before she even finished his sentence, walking straight through the hole in the wall. He hunched and picked up his pace as he stalked toward the ring.

For Amethyst, she didn't have but a clue what was going on with him. But for Mike, he knew everything.  
He knew that his Gemstone was slowly cracking more and more, and that his body would soon start cracking and falling apart. That's why he donned the tight red and black clothing. And his face had already begun cracking, so he was forced to don the mask to hide his disfigured face. And he knew that he was getting more stressed by the second,  
and that he wanted to punch something... no, that he NEEDED to. The stress was becoming unbearable, and he needed a way to get it out, and now.

He glanced behind him, and saw that Amethyst, shapeshifted into the Purple Puma, was following behind him.  
Turning his back on his tag-partner, he climbed into the wrestling ring.

His opponents were of large builds and largely identical to each other, both sporting the same tights and boots that only varied in color. They look like they would knock out any regular human with one blow.  
...Unfortunate they're going to be humiliated in front of a crowd of people.

Upon closer inspection, revealed to Mike that one of them, the one in blue, was holding a steel chair in his hand.  
Maybe he knew what he was up against... not that it mattered. It would take more than a chair to keep him down.  
Although, a piece of steel would be perfect for shattering bones, or at the very least, breaking them.

...Okay, this heel talk may be going overboard. But honestly, it took a little bit of stress out of him, thinking of all the ways he could shatter his opponent's nose, or kneecap, or skull. Hell, if he wanted to... he could end his career right here, right now.

After all, it's a wrestling match. Anything goes... nobody can stop him. All it would take his hitting him in just the right spot, and he'd never step into a ring for the rest of his miserable existence...

Or the neck... if he broke that, he could never walk again. He'd have to get around on a wheelchair forever...  
So many possibilities... but only two objects to try them on... yes, he could make that work.

Mike could almost not believe himself. These thoughts running through his head... he wanted to reject them, yet...

A huge part of him sought to make them a reality. And so he shall.  
The only potiental problem he would have is Amethyst trying to interject. Though if it did come to that...  
she would be dealt with in the same fashion.

It's a shame, really. Imagine how easy everything would be if Gems could be paralyzed for life.

Speaking of the cocky Gem, she climbed onto the ring apron and looked again at Mike.  
She took note of his stance. He didn't try to rile up the crowd. Hey didn't pick up a microphone to insult them,  
he didn't even insult their opponents. He just... stood there, eyeing them from head to toe.

He could feel her gaze. Maybe she had an idea of what he was about to do? ...No matter. After all, this is just a stress reliever. He's allowed to do whatever he does.  
No-holds-barred. Anything goes. Everything's legal.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, once again, to BCUW!" The announcer proclaimed on his microphone.

"As you can see in the ring, the Purple Puma has requested to defend the Tag-Team Championship for the first time tonight, only a few hours after winning them with his previous partner!"

The audience booed.

"And as you can also see, he appears to have acquired a new partner already! Man, just where is he pulling these guys out from?! So, if I may, I'd like to introduce you to... The Big Red Machine... KANE!"

Quieter boos this time. Most likely these people think they've never seen him before.  
But rest assured, they'll be booing by the time this is over.

"And let you all be reminded that this match is sheduled for one-fall, meaning that the only way to win is for the opponent to submit or be pinned!"

Mike saw Peridot in the stands, seated away from the people. Perfect. He was hoping she'd see this.  
Maybe it will teach her what will happen if she decides to slap him again. After all...

She didn't learn from last time.

"As for their opponents, Mr. Dashing Danny Goober, and Handsome Hank Hackleschmidt, will they overcome the odds,  
or will they fall victim to the beast from the jungle and the monster from hell?! My money's on option two, ladies and gentlemen! So without any further adieu, let's get this started!"

The instant the bell rang, DDB made a beeline straight for Mike.  
Mike made no moves, instead opting to stay put, right before he was slammed directly in the face with the solid steel chair.

He didn't budge. The only thing the hulking human managed to do was indent the shape of Mike's mask into the chair.

"My lord, he didn't even flinch! Even Purple Puma's last partner had trouble with the steel! This Kane is the real deal,  
folks!"

Mike ripped the chair out of DDB's hands. The human looked at him with a shocked expression, but immediately went to punch his shorter opponent, only to be met with a steel chair to the gut.

The hulking man bent over and yelled out in pain, leaving his backside open for another chair shot, sending him to the floor completely.

Mike went for another shot... and stopped. He lowered the chair.

What was he doing? He was about to beat a human... a human, relentlessly with a blunt object.  
He could've just gone for punches or kicks, but he went right for a weapon.

That went strictly against his morals. Against his new responsibilities of a Crystal Gem.  
He got caught up in the moment. He was letting his stress get to him.  
He might have almost taken another life. He couldn't let that happen again.

Dejected, Mike shook his head and tossed the weaponized chair away.  
This was a mistake. He shouldn't have stepped into the ring to fight. That shouldn't even have crossed his mind at this point. But he needed an excuse cover his cracks, and his costume was the only way to.

He needed to leave. This wasn't the place to be. He needed to be somewhere... anywhere... just not here.  
He brushed the fake long hair of his mask out of his face and turned to exit the wrestling ring,  
only to be caught immediately by a brutal clothesline from DDB's partner, HHH.

A huge gasp came from the crowd at the sight of the move, that was forceful enough to flip his masked opponent onto the ground face-first.

DDB had recovered by that point, and the two burly men began mugging the layed out Gem, both delivering relentless kicks to his spine as Mike tried to crawl away. Another reason he shouldn't have wrestled; his cracking Gemstone made him vulnerable. Fragile.

Kick after kick after kick from the two men, only stopping when Mike reached the ropes and tried to drag himself out, but being dragged right back in by the feet.

HHH lifted up Mike's barely moving body and held him up for DDB, who delivered a neck-snapping superkick directly to his masked face, and Mike crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

DDB took the immediate opportunity to go for the cover, pinning Mike's shoulders to the mat and lifting up one of his legs for leverage.

"1!"

"2!"

Mike kicked out. Both tag team partners into a quick shock.  
DDB immediately pinned Mike again, this time putting his feet on the ropes for even more leverage.

"1!"

"2!"

Mike kicked out again.  
The opposing tag-team were bewildered. After all those kicks, a kick to the head, and he still kicked out.  
Mike attempted to crawl out of the ring again. He needed to get out of there. He needed to get out of this ring.

He crawled until he was only an inch from the ropes... and he went completely limp.  
DDB and HHH looked at each other in confusion. HHH poked Mike's limp body with his foot, and upon realizing he wasn't making even the slightest move, didn't know what to do.

Amethyst looked on shocked from her corner. Mike didn't move an inch. She would have thought he was faking it, but a few more moments of silence from the entire arena, including the announcer, made it that that wasn't the case.  
Amethyst looked to Peridot in the crowd, who shared the same look of worry.

She was about to get in the ring herself to check on him, but before she could, out of nowhere, surprising nearly everyone in the arena... Mike sat up.

DDB and HHH backed away, startled by his sudden movement.  
The Gem looked up at DDB. He was shocked. He looked at HHH. He was shocked, too.

Mike grabbed the ropes and used them to lift himself to his feet. He needed to lean on them for a moment.  
He was breathing heavily through his mask. He didn't need to, but it let out some tension.

HHH cautiosly approached Mike, intent on making sure he was okay, but before he could...

Mike grabbed him by the skin on his neck, yanked his head down to his eye level, and brutally punched him directly in the nose, sending an alarming gush of blood out.

He didn't pull his punch. And in doing so, the Gem had shattered the man's nose, crimson blood leaking out, needing to be covered with his hand.

Mike grabbed HHH and threw him into the corner, smashing his shoulder into the metal ring post before he fell out of the ring, gripping his dislocated shoulder.

DDB tried to go check on his partner, but Mike low blowed him first, and the man fell to his knees.  
The audience was silent. The announcer was silent. Amethyst was silent. Peridot was silent.  
Mike stood in the ring, human blood splattered on his mask and bodysuit, HHH laying at ringside, broken nose and dislocated shoulder, and his partner holding his private area in pain.

Mike looked down on DDB. His eyes full of malice. Of intent. His glowing red eyes.  
Both of them.

He cracked his neck and calmly walked over to Amethyst's corner, where the steel chair that he previously used as a weapon lay. Amethyst stood waiting there to chastise him.

"Mike!" She angrily whispered. "Are you crazy?! You're supposed to fight them, not kill them!"

He looked at Amethyst briefly. Then his chair.  
It didn't take long for him to make the decision to slam his partner in the face with it, sending her to the floor.  
At this point, everyone in the arena began clearing out. They knew that at this point that what was happening in the ring wasn't supposed to entertain them, and they knew that they didn't want to be in there with Mike, holding a chair with malicious thoughts.

The only ones left in the arena was DDB, HHH, both at Mike's mercy, Peridot, who was standing at this point,  
but made no move to the ring for fear of her own life, and Amethyst, recovering from her sudden attack.

DDB turned his head in Mike's direction, getting greeted by a steel chair directly in the face.  
He fell to the floor, near unconscious. His skull could have been cracked by the blow, it was so hard.  
Mike shook his head at the limp man. This wasn't a game anymore. He was done being pushed.

This was the final straw.  
He slammed the chair onto DDB's chest, and he yelled out in pain and rolled onto his back, earning a chair shot there too.

Mike didn't stop. He slammed his back again. He slammed him again. And again. And again.  
Six chair shots. Eight chair shots. Ten chair shots. Fifteen chair shots.

Peridot looked on in horror. Mike was relentless. Slam after slam with the chair onto that wrestler's soft human flesh.  
He didn't stop. He kept going and going, and only stopped when HHH got back in the ring in an attempt to help his partner.

But he didn't even get close. A brutal chair shot to the face that could be heard throughout the whole building sent him crumpling to the ground, unconscious. His mouth was bleeding now. The chair knocked out several teeth,  
which were now scattered around his bloody body.

Mike's attention went back to DDB. He also didn't move.  
Mike looked at the chair, and then eyed the beaten human's arm.  
He opened the chair ever so slightly, leaned down and placed DDB's arm into it.

Then he looked at Peridot.  
Peridot backed away at his gaze. He looked her right in the eye. He didn't make any moves toward her, but just looked her dead in the face as he stood surrounded by the crumpled bodies of his opponents.  
The mask didn't help. It only gave her the illusion she was looked a lifeless statue in it's emotionless face.  
A face that said, "This will be you."

He looked away from Peridot and climbed onto the top rope.  
And without hesitation, without any form of regret, he jumped, and landed on the chair, brutally snapping DDB's arm.

The human man screamed out in pain, rolling around on the ground, struggling to get the chair off.  
Mike saw his discomfort, grabbed the chair, and ripped it off, only increasing his pain.  
He lifted the chair up, the blood covered chair and uttered to quiet words that Peridot heard clearly in the empty building.

"Shut up."

And he slammed the chair into his face, busting his face open, knocking some teeth out, and knocking him out.  
Mike observed the carnage around him. Both humans, covered in crimson masks, blood covering his own body, his weapon, and the ring around him.

He turned around, and saw that Amethyst had entered the ring, in her normal form.  
She was shocked. Horrified. Disgusted. She looked up at her friend, who looked at her, blood soaked,  
a weapon ready in his hands.

"...Mike...what did you do?"

No response. He only stepped forward. Any emotion he showed before, any intention to be nice, and kindness at all...  
was long gone.

"What did you do!?" Amethyst rushed the Gem, clenching a fist to punch him out.  
But she was struck in the head with the chair first, and with a grunt of pain, Amethyst fell to the ground once more.  
She looked up at Mike, who kicked her in the jaw.

He threw the chair away. He grabbed Amethyst by the collar and lifted her up, and slammed her in the side of the head with his bare fist. Then the pummeling began.

Fist after fist. Just like with the chair. A grunt of pain came out of the smaller Gem with each strike.  
Amethyst attempted a punch of her own, but Mike grabbed her wrist and twisted it.

Amethyst yelled in pain this time and held her broken wrist.  
Mike wasn't finished. He stepped on Amethyst's back, pinning her down, grabbed her arm, and began yanking it back.

Amethyst was yelling contantly now. Mike ripped, tore, bent her arm further and further behind her back.  
Harder and harder and harder and harder. Amethyst clawed around her free arm, trying to pry off Mike's deadly grip on her, but he was relentless.

Suddenly, he let go.  
Amethyst rubbed her aching head. She struggled, but she managed to get on her knees and hands.  
She looked to her left, and was brutally punted in the side of the head, cutting her open and leaving her in a daze.  
Mike looked at her. looked at her. Blue-green blood soaked the ground around her head. She barely moved.

Mike climbed out of the ring. He looked at Amethyst, who was barely getting back up.  
He got down on one knee and searched under the ring. For a weapon. There was a number of things. Baseball bats. Chairs. Tables. Ladders.

He reached under the ring, and pulled out a rather blunt object. A cinderblock.  
He got back in the ring, and tossed the block down in the center of the ring.

Then he grabbed Amethyst, and dragged her over to the block, and placed her over it.  
Before he did anything else, he gave her a chance to look up at him.

Her eyes centered on her attacker. They quickly narrowed before she spat in his face.  
Mike rewarded her for her boldness by slamming her face right into the cinderblock, and stood up.

He backed away a bit. Amethyst's head lay on the cinderblock, just ripe for the pickings.  
He started toward her beaten body.

And was stopped by Peridot jumping into the ring and blocking his path.

"Hematite. You're Gem is cracked. You're angry. You're getting out of control. You need to stop."

He began walking forward, suddenly ignoring Amethyst's vulnerable state.

Peridot backed up. "Hematite... don't do this. You know you're broken. You know this is insane. So you're smart enough to know that you need to calm down! So stop trying to kill everyone!"

He kept walking toward her, until her back was to the corner.

Peridot looked around. Amethyst was still down. Everyone else had left. The two humans lay unconscious outside the ring.  
She was alone with an unhinged murderer.

He kept getting closer and closer.

"Hematite, listen to me! This... this isn't you! You're not controlling yourself, you clod! You have to control yourself!  
Just look at what you've done already!"

He got closer.

"Hematite!"

Closer.

 _"Hematite!"_

Closer.

"Hematite! _STOP!"_

Her words were lost on him. Mike grabbed Peridot's throat and squeezed.  
He slammed her head into the ring post. Five slow, brutal times.

He grabbed the sides of her head with both hands, and brought it down on his knee, breaking her nose.  
Mike picked up the steel chair and smashed Peridot in the face with it, knocking her to the ground.  
Every subsequent blow went to her face. Not her Gem, just her face. Bruising her eye, cutting her cheek,  
splitting her lip.

The only sounds in the arena at this point was the sound of steel smacking Peridot in the face, and her weak grunts.

The beating went on for at least two minutes, at which point, Peridot was rendered in the same state as Amethyst; vulnerable.  
Mike threw his chair down. He walked over to Amethyst, who was trying to get up.  
He picked up her body and proceeded to throw her out of the ring into the nearby table, smashing it in two.

All that remained was Peridot.  
He walked over and grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to the cinderblock.  
Peridot fought him a bit at first, struggling in his grasp, but a blow to the head put a stop to her resistance.

He placed her head face first on the cinderblock and backed up a little, the same as with Amethyst, only this time,  
nobody was there to save Peridot.

"Hematite...don't..." Was all she could utter.

He ran over to her body, and just as Peridot was lifting her head up, stepped on her head and slammed it into the block, shattering it in two and splattering her light blue blood all over it.

Mike looked around. He observed everything he did. Amethyst lay in a twisted heap wreckage of a table, arm and wrist snapped,  
bleeding all over. DDB and HHH lay practically dead outside the ring, covered nearly head to toe in blood, and Peridot,  
lay in the center of the ring, her face completely covered in her own blood mixed with the human's blood off the chair,  
her head lay in the shattered cinderblock.

He exited the ring for the last time. With his back to the arena, he slowly made his way out, not looking back.  
When Amethyst came to shortly after he left, and to her horror seeing Peridot's bloody body laying in the ring,  
she let her head fall back. She was utterly exausted. Mike destroyed both of them without any effort.

But... one thing was for sure. One sure thought went through her mind before she could no longer maintain her physical form. One thing she was sure of.

That wasn't Mike that left the ring.

 ** _..._**

 _ **I feel bad for writing this. I'm sorry.**_


	24. Chapter 23: Broken

**_You won't like this chapter._**

 ** _..._**

Everything was going so well. Everything finally seemed fine. All loose ends seemed to be tied up, there were no more Homeworld Gems wandering the Earth somewhere, there was no giant fusion at the bottom of the ocean, and they had gained two new allies.

But now... they had only one.

Amethyst walked along the dark beach carrying Peridot's fake limbs and cracked Gemstone in her arms,  
having slight trouble at times trying to not have any of the items fall out of her grip.

She knew something was wrong with him. She knew it and she ignored it. And now look what happened.  
Mike beat her to a pulp, put Peridot's head through a cinderblock and cracked her Gem in the process, and just dissapeared.

The crack in the triangular green stone was rather big. Amethyst hoped that it didn't mean what she thought it did,  
considering they were just getting Peridot to let loose. She hoped dousing her in some of Rose's tears would fix it.

As for herself, she was angry more than anything. While Peridot was cracked and had yet to reform, she reformed just fine; Gemstone and all. Considering it was still dark out, she figured she wasn't poofed long.  
Yet at the same time, it felt a lot longer. After all, she never really remembered ever getting a beating like the one she got from Mike's little episode. The worst she remembered was being squeezed by that corrupted Gem way back.

...Which by the way, they should really get to capturing at some point.  
But the main thought on her mind at the moment was what she was going to do to Mike when she got back to the temple. Yeah, yeah, it was probably his split personality or whatever that did all that crap, but frankly she didn't care. Next time she sees him, she's kicking him square in the nuts. Multiple times.

Hematite... yeah, that's his name. He already crossed the line with Steven, but now? Ooh, man, when she gets her hands on him, he'll be crapping teeth for a week.

Those thoughts in mind, Amethyst reached the door to the beach house.  
She went to open the door, but remembered her arms were already full of Peridot.  
Not wanting to waste time dropping everything and picking it all back up, the Gem angled her hand toward the door to open it.

However, by the time she turned the knob, she was leaning on the door, so she quickly lost her balance and stumbled into the dark house and dropped Peridot's arms, legs and Gem onto the ground and fell flat on her face.

The purple Gem grumbled and pushed herself up. That's when she saw that she wasn't alone in the room.  
Garnet, Pearl and Steven all stood staring at her dumbfounded. Well, maybe not Garnet. But it's not like you can tell when she's wearing her glasses.

"Oh. Hey there." She greeted nonchalantly.

"Amethyst, where have you been?" Pearl was the first to speak. "And... what happened to Peridot?"

Her gaze shifted to the fake arms and legs that cluttered the floor, along with the cracked Gemstone that lay in the center of them.

"Is she...?" Steven piped in with worry.

"Nah." Amethyst replied and picked up the Gem, dusting it off. "I don't think so, at least. But she's cracked open pretty bad. I think she needs a dip in Rose's fountain."

"One moment." Garnet interjected. "Amethyst, how did this happen? And..."

Her voice trailed off when she noticed they were down one Gem.

"Amethyst... where's Mike?" She asked, keeping her stoic tone, as per usual.

The purple Gem let out an annoyed sigh. "Well, I was gonna ask you that first. He didn't come by here?"

"No. He hasn't been here since he left with you a day ago."

A day? Huh, she was out longer than she thought.

"Well then... I think we have a problem." Amethyst murmured.

"A problem...? Amethyst, what do you mean? What happened out there?" Pearl questioned.

"Yeah, is Mike okay?"

Amethyst gave Steven a sideways glance.

"...Alright, I'm not gonna sugarcoat this... Mike's the one who did this."

There was a silence.

"...What do you mean he did this? What happened? And why isn't he here?" Garnet asked.

"I don't know what happened! I mean... I do. I was there, but... I don't know why."

Everyone waited for her to continue. Steven especially.

"Okay, look... me and Mike went wrestling. Now before you say anything, we did it once before, and we had a great time! We didn't hurt anyone and it was just harmless fun. Then we came back here to bring Peridot to the Funland to try and get the stick out of her butt. And then Mike started acting weird.  
He was contantly looking around and tapping his foot like he wanted to get out of there really badly."

"Did he do anything else?" Garnet asked.

"Yeah. So, Peridot was messing around playing Pac-Man for who knows how long, and I fell asleep. When I woke up though,  
Mike just vanished. Me and Peri went out to look for him, and then he just shows up dressed in some weird get-up.  
He said he wanted to show Amethyst our skills in the ring, and I figured, why not? So we went to wrestle some guys, and..."

"And... what? Pearl asked.

Amethyst shook her head slowly. "He... snapped. He beat the ever-living hell out of two wrestlers. Busted them open,  
broke their noses and broke one of their arms and dislocated the other's shoulder. I tried to stop him, but he slammed me in the head really bad. By the time I got in the ring to stop him... they were already passed out, and he was holding a steel chair, covered in their blood..."

"No... did he...?"

"I don't know. When I reformed they were already being taken away in an ambulance.  
Anyways... when he was done with them, I tried to stop him before he did anything else, and the next thing I knew,  
my wrist was broke and he punted me in the head. And then put me through a table."

She lifted her hand up and opened it, looking at Peridot's broken Gem.

"I came to for a few seconds, but by then, I saw Peridot with her face through a cinderblock.  
Smashed her head right through it, I guess. When I reformed, the only thing there was her Gem and... well, her arms and legs.  
I came back here ASAP."

Judging by the long silence that followed, Amethyst could tell none of them were expecting to hear that.  
Steven and Pearl shared a worried glance. Then Pearl took the glance to Garnet, who looked just about as chilled as usual. But Amethyst could tell she wasn't exactly happy to hear her story.

The fusion looked at Steven. It didn't take much thought to realize what he was thinking right now.  
Most likely thinking of what the Gems plan on doing about the situation, all things considered.  
She had seen with her own eyes the kind of sick, despicable actions Hematite can, and will, go through with,  
and Steven had experienced it firsthand.

And if he was perfectly capable of standing toe-to-toe with Amethyst, then that spelled out trouble for any humans he may come across. And considering he hadn't returned to the temple, then it must mean he's managing to keep control of Mike's mind.

Taking that all into consideration, they needed to find him... fast.

"...Alright, then. And I suppose you have no idea where he may have gone?"

"Oh no, sorry. He didn't happen to mention where he was going while he was busy busting me open like a freaking walnut."

"Amethyst, now's not the time for your sarcasm. First things first, someone needs to take Peridot to Rose's fountain. Steven, you'll need to do it."

The boy nodded. "Okay! But... what are you guys gonna do?"

"We're going to go out and see if we can find Hematite. If we do, we'll try and get his head straight.  
If not... we'll figure something out."

Garnet nodded to Amethyst and Pearl, who nodded back.  
Amethyst tossed Peridot's cracked green Gemstone to Steven, who caught it with both hands.

With that, the boy watched the three Gems hop on the warp pad and dissapear in a flash of light.  
He took a brief look at Peridot's cracked Gem. Honestly, it was a sight he was worried about having to see ever since he saw her for the first time. And now that he was standing here, her broken Gemstone in his hands... he was sad.

She may have been actually enjoying herself with Mike and Amethyst. Maybe she was actually having fun for once.  
Maybe she was finally happy for a while... if she was, he really wanted to have been there to see it.  
To see a smile on her face would have been great. It would show that she's finally getting comfortable there.

And maybe... he could have stopped Hematite from doing this to her. Good lord, how awful it must have been for her. Amethyst didn't make a big deal out of it when her Gem got broken that one time, but Peridot... she's always so paranoid. Imagine how frightened she must've been.

Although on the upside, at least she could be healed immediately. And hopefully... it wasn't too late.  
He don't know what he'd do if a friend died from a broken Gem... it just seems like a really sad way to go.  
Gems are such strong warriors, especially the Crystal Gems. To die from cracking their Gem a little bit would be awful. Hopefully he'll never have to deal with broken Gems again after this.

Steven started to go, but stopped. He looked up to the second floor where his bedroom was.

"...Lapis? You wanna come with me?"

No answer. He should have suspected as much. She's probably still mad at Peridot.  
He needed to remember what Mike said, and not force her into anything. Just ease her into it.  
Hopefully, his friend's advice worked.

Mike... where was he right now?

 _ **...**_

How could he do this? Why would he do this...? For the sake of everything sacred, WHY DID HE DO THIS!?  
HOW COULD HE?!

Mike stalked through the outskirts of the city. He hadn't spoken a word since he spoke at the arena.  
The only thing he did was ditch that ridiculous fighting costume and revert to his normal attire.  
His fingernails dug deep into his head, his hair much more messed up than usual.  
The Gem sighed and came to a stop. His scruffy, curly brown hair blew gently to the side in the quiet wind of the night.

At least it should be quiet. It should be peachful. But Mike could feel no peace. He couldn't possibly feel peace after what he did. It was impossible. Peace aluded him like the mercy that eluded Peridot and Amethyst.

Breathing heavily, the Gem came to a stop by an abandonded building.  
His black clothing was stained blue with his own blood, darkened by the black shade.  
His ear burned. It stung. It felt like it was constantly being stabbed by really tiny daggers.  
One of his legs was losing all feeling in it, so he limped when he moved, so he leaned on the abandonded building for support.

He let one of his hands fall to his side, but kept the other rooted to his skull.  
He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't even coherently comprehend how he got to this abandonded place.

He unrooted his hand from his head and clenched it. He wanted to punch something.  
His hand shook with the sudden urge to put it through something. He's so stressed right now, everything that's happened,  
he can't take it all. He butchered two humans, and then he butchered two of his friends.

No, not him. Hematite. Hematite... just thinking of his name made his blood boil hotter than it ever had in his life.  
He already crossed the line with Steven. And he knows it. And he sure as hell knows what attacking Peridot and Amethyst meant.  
God, he couldn't take this. He could barely keep control at this point.

As soon as he took control after what he did, he was far from the arena. So he ran.  
He ran and he ran and he ran. He didn't know where. But he didn't care in the slightest. All he knew was that it needed to be far from Beach City. Far from Peridot. Far from the Crystal Gems... far from Steven.

It wouldn't be long before he lost control completely... and Hematite took over completely.  
He needed to be far from anyone he cared about when that happened. He hoped, he prayed, that maybe, Hematite would forget where the city was. Maybe forget about Steven. For that boy's sake, he prayed he wouldn't try to hurt him. He couldn't bare the thought.

Tears were going down his eyes at the thought. He didn't want the boy to get hurt or, Gem forbid, killed.  
But he knew deep down that Hematite wanted to hurt him. And that terrified him. It scared him.  
He was scared. But for the first time in his life, he wasn't scared for himself. He was scared for someone else.

Someone that showed him kindess. Someone that genuinly cared for him just as much as he cared about him back.  
A Gem, no less. One that wasn't chosen to be his mentor. One that didn't have some high title or the mantle of being his guardian. Someone that he wasn't always reminded was better than him. Someone that treated him with the same kind of care and respect he showed all the others he held close to him.

Someone... he could call... friend.  
...And now there's a chance he could die by his hand. Not by his mind, but by his hand all the same.  
And what could he do about it?

"Well, this is a rare sight... Mike breaking down like a pathetic welp."

Everything suddenly snapped into place. His mind straightened. His ear stopped hurting.  
Everything just became about the words his own mouth just uttered.

His face of fear slowly changed to one of calm anger. He straightened himself.  
Mike slowly turned his head to the cracked window that stood next to him... and came face to face with himself, red eyes, arms crossed, and a scowl on his face.

When he realized his copied the pose, he put his arms to his sides.  
But his fists stayed clenched tight. He stared face to face, eye to eye, with his mortal enemy. His own body, but not his own mind.

Hematite.

"...Hematite." He stated his name and narrowed his eyes. He didn't even seem to notice his reflection copy him.  
His mind right now made it seem like his reflection was moving of his own accord. He couldn't even tell that he was indeed the one moving his reflection.

"...Mike." He stated right back, the corner of his mouth curving into a small smirk.

"I'm going to kill you." Mike stated. He knew there was really only one outcome to that, but he didn't know what else to say.

Hematite's eye twitched. Not in annoyance or anger. It just... twitched.

"I'm sure you'd love nothing more than that. Killing your enemy. It's always such a great feeling, isn't it?  
Not that you'd ever have the guts to do it."

Mike scowled himself. "People do things they would never do normally if it means saving the ones they care about."

Hematite nodded. "As good a reason as any, I suppose. It's always been about the ones you care about, isn't it?  
Like with Tourmaline."

"Don't talk about her. You know she means a lot to me." Mike leered at his other half.

"Ah, yes yes, she's like a sibling or a mother or whatever to you. Or... was, until you screwed yourself out of ever seeing her again."

"Shut up."

"She'll probably come back to Homeworld, and Yellow Diamond will tell her what you did. How you betrayed Homeworld.  
How you betrayed all the Gems there... like her."

"I said shut up." Mike raised his voice.

"She'll hear everything you did. Betraying Homeworld. Helping the enemy. Mouthing off to Yellow Diamond.  
She'll probably finally realize just how worthless you were. Maybe she'll finally realize that she was wrong about you."

"Shut UP!"

"Maybe she'll finally realize that she was a fool for thinking you meant anything to her. All that trust you built with each other, all the emotions you shared... she'll just throw it all away."

"HEMATITE, SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Mike punched the wall beside the window, cracking the window a little more.

"Oooh, struck a nerve AND made a point? I'm on a roll today."

Hematite leaned forward and tipped his fedora up a little. "You see, Mike... Tourmaline was a friend of yours, yeah?  
Such a sweet thing. Like your relationship. Like a big sister and her little brother. Adorable, and yet so pathetic."

Mike tried so hard not to shatter the window right now. But he didn't know what to say, and losing himself to his distress would only make Hematite take over quicker. He couldn't let that happen. So he stalled. Maybe, if he was lucky,  
the cracks in his Gem would kill him first.

"But now you've got all these new Gems in your life to replace her. One big dysfunctional family.  
You have that abomination that calls herself a fusion. Garnet, I think?"

Mike's teeth were clenched. He was really going there. He didn't want him to, but he was going there.

"You have that handy little Pearl that thinks she's a warrior, oh that's good. Reach for the stars, right? Pah."

Mike shook his head slowly.

"You have Amethyst, who, let's face it, is more of a bratty teenager than a Gem. But hey, at least that's something you and her have in common... you shouldn't exist."

A jab at their defectiveness? Low. Much too low...

"Then you have the little sociopathic funhouse that is Jasper and her girlfriend, Lazuli."

"Don't even." Mike snapped.

"Huh... maybe when I take control, I'll leave Lapis alone. Maybe I'll just pop Jasper's bubble and let her do the work for me."

A growl.

"Maybe I could be the one who holds her arms back while she has tears in her eyes, being beaten senseless?  
Only thing her water powers'll be useful for, then."

"Stop."

"Then maybe I'll just toss her shattered remains into a volcano? Yeah, that sounds like fun."

"You're not going anywhere near her or anyone else, you sick bastard."

"And then you have little Peri..."

"DON'T... don't you even think about it, Hematite."

"Oh, tryin' to hide something, are you? Pfft, don't think I haven't noticed the way you look at her, you sly dog..."

"I'm going to break you..."

"Don't waste your energy. I'm gonna need it soon for when I'm ripping her ribcage open and stabbing her through the mouth with one of them."

"Shut your fucking mouth!"

"The thought's pretty funny, actually. The last sight you'll ever see of her will be her ribcage torn open...  
her arms and legs broken... her skull bashed in and her nose broken with her fancy limb enhancers... and the only sound she'll be able to make will be tiny gurgling noises since one of her ribs will be stabbed through her mouth and out the back of her head. It'll be a relief. The little bitch only ever blabs like a child, anyway..."

Mike put his fist completely through the side of the building this time. He couldn't hold in his anger anymore.  
No... he didn't want to.

"DON'T YOU EVER CALL HER A BITCH AGAIN, YOU SADISTIC MONSTER!"

Hematite chuckled. "Heheh. What's the matter? Is the love sick puppy scared for his bitch?"

The window shattered in an instant. Glass littered the ground around Mike. Glass lay embedded in his hand.  
His snarled with each breath he took. His chest heaved heavily in and out. But he still had control.

"Lost our temper now, did we?"

Mike's head snapped to the right. He didn't do it himself. But he knew what he had to do when he realized when he was looking at another cracked window, this one less cracked.

The Gem cupped his face in his hands and took several deep breaths.  
It must have taken a minute before he calmed down a little, and decided to approach the window, where his red-eyed reflection was waiting.

"Tsk tsk, Mike. Don't you think you should work on that temper of yours? I mean, your gonna want to be a good representation of a Crystal Gem since you're gonna be the only one left soon."

"Listen to me, Hematite." Mike pointed his finger at his arm crossed, half smirking, half scowling counterpart.

"What you said about me and Peridot... you're right. I do care about her to... that level of emotion.  
Seeing her smiling face when we were at that arcade... it gave me a special feeling. To see her enjoying herself made me happy, even when I was suffering. And I still am. But you know what? I know I can never have her.  
We can never be an item."

Hematite raised an eyebrow with interest.

"...Because of you. You've ruined every chance I've ever had at developing a social life on Homeworld.  
Someone would look past my looks, and they'd give me a chance. And then you'd ruin their lives.  
You'd point out everything you think is wrong with them, make them feel like garbage, and drive them away.  
Only Tourmaline never left me, and that's because she knew I was truly pure at heart."

"No, she did it because she had no choice. Because she had to keep watch over you. Make sure you didn't slaughter any innocent Gems... again."

The anger was building again. But Mike kept going.

"All of the Crystal Gems, Peridot included, they all trust me. I proved myself. But you tried to destroy that trust by hurting Steven. But guess what? You failed. They realized your just a shadow of my true self.  
They trust me as a friend. Not Peridot... we haven't reached the friend status. But I know that if I had more time,  
I could have brought her around. But we would never become something other than that."

"Cause of your face?"

"Shut up! You're wrong. She doesn't care about that. That's why we always worked well together on Homeworld.  
Because we looked past each other's weaknesses. My defectiveness, and her inability to work effiently without the help of machinery. We shared a bond because of that. We didn't automatically assume the other is worthless for those reasons. But... even if she did find interest in me, I would never let it happen."

"And why's that?"

"Because I don't deserve someone like her. She has her quirks. And she's done some bad things to the Gems.  
To Steven. But she didn't know what she was doing. And while she's shutting herself out from mostly showing emotions,  
I know that one day, she'll make a model Gem. A model Crystal Gem. I could never make a good example for them because I have a cancer on my mind. You."

"Heh."

"You'd keep me from ever making a good Crystal Gem no matter how hard I try, and you'd keep me and Peridot from ever having... a relationship. Because you're dangerous. You're lethal. You're poison.  
You're poison to the Crystal Gems, you're poison to Earth, and you're poison to Peridot.  
And you're right. I sound like a love sick Earth puppy. But you know what? I don't regret the feeling.  
I'll never regret it. But what I do regret... is that I'd never be able to be a partner to her that could make her happy.  
She deserves anyone who will treat her right. And that person isn't me... but I can live with that, as long as she's happy."

Slow clapping. Mike looked up at Hematite. Of course he was the one clapping.  
He was fully smirking now.

"That's such a touching love story, Mike. Really tugs at my heartstrings. But it doesn't change what's going to happen to your little girlfriend when I crack her skull open and bash her face in."

Mike's angry expression returned.

"But there's one more detail you didn't give me the chance to explain."

Hematite gave a toothy grin and narrowed his eyes.

"...Little Steven Universe."

"Oh yeah, you don't like that. He's definitely your favorite of the four, huh? Little Rose Quartz Jr."

"...You're not laying a finger on that child."

"HA! As if you actually have any say in that! Don't you realize it yet, you Gem-forsaken ditz?! You don't decide that!  
I'm already taking over your mind. And when I do, I am going to make that boy suffer."

Mike clenched his teeth to the point they nearly broke.

"Once I'm done forcing all of his precious family into their Gemstones, I'm gonna shatter them all, bring their shards to him, dump them right in front of the little abomination, and watch his reaction."

One fist clenched.

"That child is always so cheerful. We'll see how cheerful he is when his family lay shattered to bits right in front of him.  
I'll watch him cry. I'll watch him sob his eyes out. And all he'll be able to do is wonder what exactly I did to them.  
And what'll I do about that? I'll show him."

Another fist clenched.

"I'll bring out his little friend Lapis Lazuli. I'll place her pretty blue Gemstone on the ground... and watch his face when he sees me crush it under my foot. And I'll savor the moment. I'll watch him beg. I'll watch him plead.  
And then I'll laugh in his face when his life crumbles around him, and just like that, he'll have no one left."

His face was red now. A vein bulged on his neck. His blood boiled to where it hurt.  
He clenched his fists to the point where his fingers would snap.

"Except. For. You." He laughed. "And you know what happens then, Mike?"

Hematite pulled a broadsword out of his broken Gemstone. It was crooked. Deformed.

"I'll assure him that I'll put this sword through your Gemstone. And while he's busy sobbing over the remains of his friends, his family... I'm gonna put this sword right through his throat and watch him choke on his own blood.  
And when that child drops to the floor, lifeless... I'll give you back control. And you'll see what I've done.  
And you'll have no choice but to put that sword through your Gemstone. You'll have no other option.  
You'll know what you've done, and you'll NEVER be able to redeem yourself. You'll NEVER be able to bring them back. All you can do is regret the day you ever decided to bring me into their lives and destroy them.

Because let's face it, Mike... you knew I'd do this."

"...Not if I put it through my Gem now."

Mike raised the crooked sword up high. The Gem pointed it to his Gemstone.  
He closed his eyes as a single tear ran down his cheek. He didn't know. He didn't know, yet... he did know.  
He never thought he'd have his Gem cracked and he'd finally snap. There was no doubt about it; this was all his fault.

"I'm sorry..." He muttered under his breath before plunging the sword into his cracked Gem.

...But it never touched it.

Mike opened his eyes in shock.  
He looked down at his Gem, and saw that the crooked sword was mere inches from it.  
More tears came down his face as he looked back up at the window, and saw Hematite, pulling the sword away from his Gem,  
as Mike was forced to do the same.

His fiendish rival shook his head and wagged his finger. "No, no, Mike... we can't have you ending the fun before it starts, can we?"

"...No...!" He muttered.

"Look, why don't you just stop fighting it? You know you're finished."

The sword smashed through the window shattering it to pieces.

"NO!"

Mike violently ripped another sword from his Gem and violently smashed what remains of the window.

"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!" The Gem screamed helplessly at the top of his lungs as he lashed around and splintered the wood of the building.

He stomped on the pieces of broken glass over and over again, on each piece until only little slivers remained.  
He backed away. The Gem's head snapped around the building, searching for the voice again.

"Over there."

Another window. It didn't take even two seconds before he was shattering it and screaming again.

"You'll never touch them! You'll never touch him! I'll never let you! I'll DIE for that child before you touch him!"

A violent scream every time he bashed the window. When there were no more windows to smash, he slammed his sword into the wood, splintering it.

Garnet. Pearl. Amethyst. Lapis. Peridot.

...Steven.

...He couldn't save them.

His angry cries slowly turned into sobbing. Realizing his smashing was doing absolutely nothing, realizing all his options were exhausted...

He broke down. The Gem dropped to his knees and released his blade.  
He fell to his side, buried his face into his hands, and sobbed quietly.

He cried. And cried. And cried.

And he chuckled.

After a solid minute of sobbing to himself, the broken Gem's cries slowly converted to mild laughter.

"Heheheh..."

And then it got louder.

"Ahahahaha..."

Until there was no longer a trace of Mike in the voice coming from the Gem's body.  
His laughter was loud. It was manic. It was unrelenting.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! AAHHHHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHAhahah..."

And suddenly, the laughter stopped abrubtly.  
The Gem wiped the tears of sadness, and the tears of laughter, from his face and slowly got to his feet.

"Wow, that laughing was crazier than it needed to be. Hematite, you goddamm pychopath..." He scolded himself.

He slapped himself across the face then. Nothing. He heard nothing in his head. No pleading. No fighting.  
He was all alone.

The sinister Gem cracked his knuckles in satisfation. "Perfect. All to myself."

He looked to his left. There was still a little bit of glass left on the ground.  
Hematite walked over to the biggest piece he could find, picked it up off the ground, and stared into it.

And he squeezed it until blood oozed out of his hand.

 _"You're next... **Crystal Gems."**_

 ** _..._**

 ** _I honestly felt uncomfortable writing this one. I hope you guys enjoyed. Or.. would that be a bad thing?_**

 ** _Anyways..._**

 ** _See you in the next chapter!_**


	25. Chapter 24: Not Finished Yet

_**Update! I've updated the end of this chapter significantly, so you need to read to understand the eventual next chapter! ^^**_

 _ **Welcome back! I bet you've all been waiting a looong time for this, so without any further adieu, let's get this started!**_

* * *

A while later...

He did it. A quick dip in his mother's fountain and Peridot's Gem was fixed just like that.  
Steven carried the green Gem carefully in both hands so as to not drop it and risk cracking it again.  
Now he just needed to wait until Peridot reformed. If she did at all...

No, she had to. What Mike did couldn't have been enough to... you know, right?  
Amethyst's Gem got cracked before and they saved her. So Peridot had to be okay, too.  
He'll just have to wait and see.

He spent more time at the fountain then he needed to, though. Not only did he wait for Peridot to hopefully reform there, but he thought it'd be safer in case Hematite showed up. Then it would have been harder for him to find the two of them.

But then he thought about Lapis. She seemed like she could defend herself, but she did just unfuse from Malachite not too long ago. She might still be hurting. And...not just physically.

So it'd be better if he stayed with her and try to make her feel better.  
An experience like she had must have been awful. Stuck with someone like Jasper under the sea for months...  
Jasper... he wondered what she's thinking right now in the burning room.

He'd rather have her unbubbled and try to give her a chance like they did Peridot, but...  
There's no way the Gems trust her enough to let that happen. Even Mike seems to despise her.

Sure, she's done some bad things, but so has Peridot, and look at her now!  
...Well, maybe not this specific moment, but still, she's getting a lot better!

Hopefully when this is all over, she won't hold a grudge against any of them.  
They ARE the reason she's stuck here, after all.

Finally, he reached the living room of the beach house.  
The first thing he did was walk over near the staircase and call out to Lapis.

"Lapis? Can I come up?"

No answer.

Curious, Steven took a few steps up the stairs and called out again.

"Lapis...? Are you sleeping?" He asked again, again recieving silence.

Maybe she was in the bathroom? He wondered aloud, taking more steps up.  
He hoped to see his blue friend resting on his bed, but what he saw instead purely shocked him to near silence.

Mike. He was sitting right there, his back to the young Gem.  
He silently stared out the window, his normally mussed up hair more messy and unkept than usual.  
He didn't utter a sound, but what terrified him... was his hand.

It was covered in a light blue substance. By the look of it, it seemed to be...Gem blood.  
He hoped it was his, but the object that hovered above his hand shattered that theory harder than his windows.  
A black bubble hovered quietly above his open palm, and inside...contained a blue Gemstone in the shape of a teardrop.

He had Lapis!

He was about to speak to him, but another object caught his eye that freaked him out even further.  
A Gem Destabilizer, the same weapon that made Garnet fall apart right in front of him, layed on the bed next to him...covered in blue blood.

He used it on Lapis. He must have snuck up on her. And he didn't just jab her like Jasper did.  
He stabbed her. That must be why there's blood on it!

"It's not polite to stare, Steven."

His voice scared him. It sounded like Mike, but...evil. Lower, calmer. Scary.

"M-Mike...?" He couldn't help but utter the name. He knew he wasn't talking to Mike right now, but he hoped to maybe reach out to his friend.

"Nope." He replied, with no enthusiasm, killing that hope spot.

He saw his reflection in the glass. He looked terrible.  
His face was cracked, it looked like. Parts of his face looked like they were falling apart.  
He was bleeding all over, and he could swear he was missing an ear.

But one thing definitely shone brighter than those features.  
His eyes. The colors weren't mix-matched anymore. Instead, both of them glowed a crimson red color.

"Sorry for stealing Lapis' spot, but I'm feeling pretty exhausted at the moment."

He had no emotion in his voice. He took pauses constantly to catch his breath and he sounded tired. When he wasn't talking, he was just... breathing. and even that was creeping him out.

"W-what happened to you?"

Hematite ever so slightly moved his eyes to look at Steven's reflection. He saw his fear clear as day.  
Understandable, considering he's alone with someone who's planning to kill him at any moment.  
But he humored the child. Might as well know what's happening before his vocal chords are ripped out.

"I forgot, you were unconsious when Jasper cracked me open like a walnut."

"What?"

"Yeah, split my Gem like it was nothing. I can't wait to pop her bubble so I can shatter her nose before she even knows what's happening. And guess what her nose is? Her Gemstone."

"You're cracked?" Steven cautiously stepped forward. "Why didn't you say anything? We can help you!"

"First of all, Mike was the one who didn't tell you. Second of all, I'm pretty sure I'm dead, boy.  
Like you said, you're so-called healing saliva doesn't work anymore. So when this conversation is over,  
I'm just going to quickly shatter you harder than I will this beauty here."

He gestured to Lapis' Gemstone, prompting nervousness from Steven.  
But kindess as usual trumped that.

"But we don't need my spit! There's a fountain in the temple that's filled with my mom's healing tears!  
It'll fix your Gem! I can bring you there right now!"

"And why would you do that? To save Mike's miserable hide? I think you should just forget about him,  
Steven. He's not saving you this time."

What did he mean by that?

"What do you mean by that?" He repeated his question out loud to him.

But Hematite just let out a sigh. "Steven... I'm dying. I don't have a lot of time left."

His heart dropped massively at that statement.

"No..! No, you can't!" He said, acting as if he were talking to Mike still.

"Look, I understand what you're feeling. You don't want to see your friend die.  
You clearly care about him and don't want him to die. And if it does come to that, you want to at least say goodbye."

He turned around to fully face Steven and threw his legs over the edge of the bed, and the bubble containing Lapis' Gem disappeared.

"Well you're never going to see him again. He's already dead. Gone. I have full control now,  
and that piece of garbage that calls himself a Gem is no more. I want you to think long and hard about that before what happens next."

Steven stepped back. "No... no, you're lying! You're lying to me! He can't be gone!" He said, almost in tears.

Hematite smirked. "I can ask him, if you want." He mocked.

"Hey Mike, are you still alive in there?" He asked out loud, looking up and his forehead.

"Huh, no one answered. Guess that's a no, then."

He leered at Steven. "Looks like you've run out of road, little man."

A hard kick to the gut sent Steven flying from the second floor and crashing into the ground.  
Peridot's Gem flew out of his hands and fell harmlessly to the ground.

Hematite hopped down to the second floor, almost falling over trying to keep his balance.  
He landed right behind Peridot's still Gem.

"Well well, looks like you fixed Peridot..." He said, placing his foot on top of the green rock.

"Don't!" Steven yelled, getting up to his feet and holding his aching gut.

"I wonder if Gems can feel this happening when they're in their Gem. Let's find out together."

He began putting pressure on the Gem.

"NO!"

Hematite looked up just it time to be struck in the face with a pink shield.  
The black Gem flew into the nearby wall, stunning him.

Steven didn't waste a second in grabbing Peridot's Gem and making a sprint for the door.  
Just as he reached it, a black sword stuck itself into the wall, just missing his head.

He looked back, and saw Hematite on his feet again.

"Running isn't going to help you, brat. Just make it more fun for me."  
His voice was gravely, almost animalistic.

But Steven didn't stick around. He flung the door open and ran outside faster than he'd ever run before.  
He made a dash down the stairs, being extremely careful not to trip and fall, as Hematite would surely catch him easier that way.

He got down to the beach and made a mad dash. He didn't know where he was going, but anywhere but here would be just great. He needed to get away. Hematite was weak, but he was still no match for him.

He just ran as fast as he could, hoping he could outrun him.  
But a hand clamping down on his shoulder proved he wasn't fast enough.

"Got you." Hematite said between breaths.

Steven struggled in his grasp, nearly getting free, until Hematite grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him up off the ground.

"You are seriously testing me right now, boy." He said through clenched teeth.  
To Steven's horror, he lifted his free hand up and began forming a red ball of energy.

"HEMATITE!"

Hematite groaned and rolled his eyes, while Steven felt a wave of relief wash over him.  
The Crystal Gems stood further down the beach, weapons drawn.

"Hematite, unhand him! Don't make us hurt you!" Garnet threatened.

His head snapped back to look at them, further back than humanly possible.

"You three just HAVE to show up at the wrong time, don't you?!" He snapped.

The three let out a collective gasp when they saw his broken, bloodied face.

"Woah! You look uglier than usual!" Amethyst shouted.

"Guys, be careful! He's cracked!" Steven yelled out to them.

"Yeah, and he's also about to blast you into next week!" Amethyst replied.

"Enough!" Pearl piped in. "You're outnumbered, Hematite! Just surrender and put him down, now!"

Hematite ignored them. He turned back to look Steven straight in the eye and held the ball of energy right up to his face.

"I'm already dead." He stated, ready to release it and obliterate his victim.  
Steven shut his eyes tight and looked away, waiting for the blow.

But he was surprised when he fell to the ground instead, body and face intact.  
But he couldn't say the same about Hematite.

A spear lay dug in his stomach, impaling him all the way through, blood coating the sharp end.  
He stumbled forward, using a nearby large rock for support.

The Gems waited for him to retreat to his Gem. But to their annoyance, he didn't.  
He grabbed the spear and ripped it from his body and threw it into the sand, a gaping hole in it's place.

He looked up at all three of them.

"DO YOU THINK THIS IS GOING TO STOP ME!?"

He stopped to take a breath, the yelling taking out way more of him than he expected.

"I...I'm not dead yet! You're gonna have to kill me if you want that boy to live any longer!  
Either you kill me, or I kill him! You're choice!"

Suddenly however, a whip wrapped around his ankle and yanked his foot out from under him,  
sending him onto his back.

"Actually..." Amethyst began. "All we gotta do is beat you until you go into your Gem.  
Then we can just wait until you cool down a bit and decide to just, y'know, go away forever. Sound cool?"

He let out a strained laugh. "You really think you're all that and a bag of chips, don't you Amethyst?  
Well when I get out of here, and I WILL, you're gonna be the first one I shatter while Steven watches."

Another whip tightened itself around his neck.

"Shut your mouth! The only one of us who's getting shattered is gonna be you!"

Hematite ripped a sword from his cracking Gemstone and cut the whips off of him like they were vines.

"You're defectiveness makes you weak. I can cut your flimsy whips like paper!"

With all of his strength, he climbed back to his feet.

"Hematite, you are killing yourself." Garnet stated. "It doesn't have to go this way. Just give Mike control of his body back and we can heal both of you!"

"Heheh... generous offer. Really. But like I told Rose 2.0, Mike's never getting control back because he's dead!"

"Don't you EVER call him that again!" Pearl threatened him with a spear, but Garnet stopped her.

"That's entirely up to you, and you know it. Either you surrender now... or you're not walking away from here alive. Simple as that."

"No!" Steven yelled.

Hematite kicked him in the face. "The grown-ups are talking. Know your place, you ignorant little-

A gauntlet smashing his face in promptly cut off those words.  
Garnet had fired her gauntlet-clad hand directly at the Gem's chest where his Gem lay, sending him smashing through a rock, splitting it all the way down.

Hematite didn't move after that. Not an inch. He lay completely still on the beach, as if he were dead.

"MIKE!" Steven shouted, making a mad dash towards him.

"Steven, no! He might still be dangerous!" Pearl yelled out, but Steven ignored her plea.

Steven reached Hematite's body and fell to his knees.  
He nudged him. When there was no response, he began shaking him.

"Mike? Mike? Mike! Please wake up!" He pleaded to his friend, getting no response.  
Tears began filling his eyes as he used his strength to roll him over on his back.

He unzipped his hoodie and to his horror, he saw his Gem.  
It was horrifically cracked open, almost looking as if the entire front of it had been ripped off.

The Crystal Gems approached him cautiously, but lowered their weapons when they saw the state of his Gemstone.

"No..." Pearl simply muttered.

Amethyst shook her head. "Oh, man..."

Garnet looked shocked, even through her visor.

"I... I didn't mean to hit him that hard..." She said.

Indeed, her attack worsened his Gem's state. At this point, he could be mere moments from death.

He was still motionless. But Steven persistently shook him.

"Mike, please! You can't die! You were supposed to go on all kinds of cool missions with us! I was gonna show stuff like video games and cartoons! Don't... don't go..."

Pearl put a hand on his shoulder. "Steven... I'm so sorry. But... I think...

"No, he can't be gone! He can't be!" He looked at her, eyes red and tears streaming down his face.

Suddenly, he felt a hand grasp his. He turned back.

Mike was looking at him, squeezing his hand gently. His soft green eyes looked up at him with nothing but sorrow.

"Mike!" He said with relief.

"Suh...S...St-eve...n..." He uttered, barely able to form words.

Steven hugged him. He hugged him hard, and never wanted to let go.  
Mike weakly hugged him back with one arm and patted him on the back.

"Steven...buddy...I'm so sorry..." He said.

"No... you don't have to be!" He replied. "It was Hematite that did those things! It's okay!"

"No...no, it's not." He replied. "I couldn't control him. I should have been able to. But...I was scared.  
I was so scared of what he'd do to you, and everyone else. I let him get to me. And...and he took control...  
he almost killed you."

"Mike, you don't have to be scared anymore! We-we can fix you! We can take you to my mom's fountain!  
We can-

"Steven...I'm sorry, but...you can't. I'm running on fumes, here. At best, I've only got...a few...minutes."

"That's okay! I-I can run back, and bring some tears to you! You'll be fine! Y-You'll be fine!"

Mike smiled at him. "Heh...you're always good for a smile...No, buddy. It's...it's too late for that.  
I just...I need you to listen to me. Alright...?"

Tearfully, Steven nodded. The Crystal Gems watched solemnly.

"Steven...from the day I got here...you were kind to me. Offered to help me find everyone...offered to keep me a secret...I'd have never expected that kind of generousity from someone on Earth.  
You're a charming kid. I love you for everything you've done for me...and...I'll miss you."

Steven could barely keep himself from breaking down. He squeezed Mike's hand for comfort, and replied.

"I'll miss you too..." He said through tears.

Mike nodded to him, tears beginning to fall down his face as well. Then he turned to Amethyst.

"Amethyst...you definitely know how to show a Gem a good time...that day you took me wrestling...  
it was a pretty good time...well, maybe not the second time...I wish we'd be able to do more of that..."

Amethyst nodded. "...Yeah..." She said with a smile, trying to laugh, but couldn't find the strength to.

Mike turned to Pearl next.

"Pearl...I barely knew you. We never...we never actually had a one-on-one conversation with eachother...  
But Steven cares about you...so...I wish I could have gotten to know you better..."

"...I...you seemed like a nice person." She replied, struggling to find the words. "It would have been nice to have known you better aswell..."

Lastly, he turned to Garnet.

"Garnet...I can't thank you enough. Knowing...knowing your history with Homeworld Gems now...I'm surprised...  
that you didn't just poof me right then and there. Even with Hematite as a threat to Steven...you still gave me a chance. And...you let me become one of you. A Crystal Gem...I just wish...I could have done more as one..."

"With the time you had...you made an amazing Crystal Gem. We never would have stopped Malachite without you.  
I'll...we'll... always remember that. I'll be sad to see another one of us go. You were one of the best."

Mike laughed weakly. "You big...sweetheart." He said, bringing a smile out of Garnet.

Finally, he turned back to Steven.

"Steven...I need you to do something for me..."

"S-Sure! Anything." He hastily replied.

Mike nodded.

"Tell Peridot...tell...her...I'm..."

He violently coughed up blood.

"Tell her...I'm...I'm sorry..."

"No...no, you can tell her yourself! I can help you! I can try my spit again!"

Mike shook his head and sighed. "Steven...I..."

But his strength was used up. His voice slowly faded away, and his eyes shut.  
But Steven was determined. His body was still there. He was breathing still. They still had a chance.

He licked his hand and covered it in spit, and touched Mike's Gemstone.

Nothing.

"Steven..." Garnet said, but didn't know what else to say.

"No, I can do this!" He refused to listen, and coated his hand in spit again.  
He touched Mike's Gem. Again, nothing happened.

"Steven...I don't think...I don't think it's gonna work." Amethyst said, taking a step forward.

"No!" Steven repeated.

Come on, Steven. He thought to himself. You can do this! You HAVE to do this! If you don't, Mike's gone forever!  
Just work...please, please, PLEASE work!

Steven coated his hand all over with his spit. He placed it on Mike's Gemstone and coated it all over it, not leaving a single spot uncovered. For good measure, he did it a second time. Then a third.

He waited. He waited and he waited. Time seemed to stand still. He watched his Gemstone carefully,  
waiting, hoping, praying it fixed itself.

But it didn't. When he realized this, he broke down completely.  
He buried his face in his hands, and he cried. He cried his eyes out.

Mike was gone.

Pearl closed her eyes and looked down. Amethyst crossed her arms and looked away, not wanting to show tears.  
Garnet shook her head. She crossed her arms, lifted her visor with two fingers, and rubbed her eyes.

A massive silence swept over the beach. The only sound was the shrill wind, blowing through their hair.  
Everything finally seemed to be going perfectly. Peridot warmed to the idea of Earth activities, Malachite was unfused, Jasper was captured, and Lapis was safe.

But now everything was falling apart. Peridot was poofed, Hematite sent Lapis' Gem lord knows where,  
and Mike was dead.

But...there was a hope spot.

Everyone heard a sound. An odd, crackling sound.  
They all looked at Mike. His body was still unmoving. His face and Gem were still cracked.

But to their surprise, and to Steven's pure shock and joy, the cracks... were mending themselves.

His spit was working!

Every Gem watched, stunned in silence, as the cracks on Mike's face and Gemstone slowly receded.  
His Gem filled out, his face repaired itself, the blood on him disappeared.

Steven and the Gems waited in anticipation. In time, every crack, every drip of blood, every trace of his deathly ill state, had all but disappeared.

Mike grunted, relieving everyone, but not as near as much as Steven.  
They watched as Mike slowly sat up, and fell onto his hands and knees.

Steven wiped the tears from his face and smiled.

It...it worked. He did it. He fixed his Gem!  
The boy was overwhelmed with emotions. And the other Gems could help but smile with him.

Steven walked over to Mike eagerly.

"Mike! Are you oka-

A brutal elbow to his nose that completely shattered it cut off his concerns.

Steven let out a yell of pain and fell to the ground, blood pouring out of his broken nose.

Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst were utterly shocked, but rushed to the boy's aid.

"Steven! Are you alright?!" Pearl asked with concern.

Steven held his burning nose in agony. "Ugh...Mike...?"

Everyone looked at him. They hoped it was just a reflex.  
But when they saw his face, they knew that wasn't the case.

Hematite laughed. "Well, that had to have been the sappiest thing I've ever heard come out of that weeping heap of emotions you call a friend."

Everyone but Steven's stare instantly became a glare.  
They stood in front of the boy protectively.

"...Hematite." Garnet said.

Until he lifted his head, his fedora shaded his face. But when he lifted it up to reveal his blood red eyes,  
it was as clear as day.

"You know me so well." He stated mockingly.

The Crystal Gems took out their weapons once more.

Hematite snorted and backed away. "Ready for a fight, huh? Well, I'm feeling a lot better now."

He kneeled down and looked at Steven, who hid behind the Gems.

"Thanks so much for that...buddy."

"Back off, two-face!" Amethyst cracked her whip at his feet. You're Gem's not broken anymore, so we can kick the crap out of you now! So what's it gonna be?"

Mike made some considerable distance between himself and his opponents.  
Like he did with Steven, he formed a crimson ball of energy in his hand.

The Gems braced themselves.

Hematite smirked. "That was truly a heartwarming moment you had with Mike. Truly.  
But I'm afraid the part where your Gems get cracked is fast approaching, Crystal Gems."

"Like hell it is." Amethyst spat.

"You're outnumbered three to one. There's no way you're winning this fight." Pearl said.

"She's right, Hematite. It's over." Garnet added.

"Wrong. This isn't over until every one of you has been crushed under my foot. But right now?  
Not just yet, Gems. I'm no fool. I'm a stragetist. Sure, there may be three of you, five, if you count Cripple-Dot and that tiny child with you, whom I refer to as a Mistake. Sure, one of you is a fusion who managed to defeat a Gem like Jasper, but you're all forgetting one thing; I beat Malachite."

"Bull! Mike did that! All you did was hide in his head like you've been doing up til' now!" Amethyst took a step forward and lashed her whip at the black Gem.

But he caught it in his hand firmly.

"Did he? I'm pretty sure I'm the one who unfused her. In fact, if I'm correct, Mike did NOTHING but keep himself alive during that fight. Alive, something he wouldn't be had I not intervened.  
And if I recall, he didn't even beat Jasper on his own. Again, he displayed remarkable resiliency, yet it was Peridot who subdued her. He'd have been dead by now if it wasn't for the people around him. OR me!"

"What's your point?!" Pearl shouted.

"My point, is that I'm the superior half between the two of us! I'm stronger, quicker, smarter! I'm the one who defeated Malachite! I'm the one that put a hole in a human's skull without remorse or guilt, and I was the one who could easily shatter every single one of you!"

Garnet spoke. "Hematite, you are FAR out of-

"SHUT UP!" He shouted loud enough to hurt Steven's ears. "I don't need to hear your threats, Fusion!  
You all underestimate me. You all underestimated me since the day you found out about me. Just all assumed that I'm the flavour of the month, huh? You think I'll be easy to get rid of?! I'm chronic. I'm not going anywhere.  
I'm as much a part of Mike as he is. I've been with him since we were first formed. A little dose of friendship isn't going to fix that, or me."

Pearl raised her spear.

"Not so fast, Pearl." Hematite interjected. "I forgot, you all don't know yet."

"Know what?" Pearl readied her spear.

"That I have Lapis, and have hidden her Gem, and without me, you'll NEVER find out where she is?  
You strike me down now, and she'll be doomed to rot on this planet for the rest of her life, trapped.  
Hm...that sound familiar to you three?"

"We don't need you to find her. We found Peridot, we can find you should you choose to run, and we can and will find Lapis!" Garnet retorted.

"Can you? Think about it Garnet. I could have put her anywhere on the planet if I wanted to.  
She could be on the opposite side of the earth, she could be inside my inpenetrable Gem warship, she could be right under your noses. Point being, she could be ANYWHERE, and you can't search every crack and crevice on this planet. You get rid of me, be it kill, bubble, or simply get Mike control back, you'll NEVER find her."

Steven tried to keep blood from continuing to gush from his nose as he looked up at Hematite in fear for Lapis' well-being.

"Unless..."

"Unless what?! Stop trying to be mysterious!" Amethyst chided.

"Out with it." Garnet said, nary an emotion in her tone, as usual.

"Unless...Amethyst meets me for battle. In the Kindergarten, where the Cluster resided... Alone."

Everyone suddenly turned to the purple Gem, who now donned a perplexed expression on her face.

"Why...just Amethyst?" Pearl questioned.

"Why not?" Was all Hematite gave.

"Impossible. There's no way she's doing that after what you did to her and Peridot before." Garnet attempted to reject the Gem's offer.

"Oh, but you don't have a choice. Either you send Amethyst to fight me, and I swear not to kill her...or you don't send her and I crush Lazuli's Gemstone faster than you can say...crack."

Garnet looked at Steven.  
He looked terrified. And she didn't blame him. Not only is one of his friends turned evil, but said friend threatens to kill another friend he cares deeply about. Hell, if she shared the bond the boy had with Mike or Lapis,  
she'd probably feel the same way.

But...potientally sacrificing Amethyst? Would it be worth it? What if he went back on his word? What if he killed her? What if he killed both of them? Should such a risk be taken?

"Guys..." Amethyst spoke up.

Everyone looked at her. Hematite waited eagerly for an answer.

"...I'll do it." She said.

"Amethyst, no!" Pearl objected. "Do you know what he'll do to you? He could have killed you before if he wanted to! You can say no!"

"Nah, not this time, P." The short Gem insisted.

She turned her attention to Hematite and stepped forward.

"Hey, Hematite!" She yelled to him.

"Speaking." He replied, arms crossed and leaning on a rock.

Amethyst looked back at Pearl. She looked worried.  
She looked at Garnet. She couldn't tell completely through her glasses, but her slightly parted lips told her she too was worried.

Then she looked at Steven.  
He was obviously freaked out. She didn't blame him.  
She couldn't say no to Hematite knowing how much Steven cares about Lapis.  
She barely knows her, heck, so far all she's done is try to kill them and sold them out to Homeworld, but Steven's been worried about her since she fused with Jasper, so...that obviously means she can't just let her die.

The Crystal Gem turned back to Hematite.

"Fine. I'll fight you. But, on one condition."

"Shoot."

"...You promise not to kill her."

Hematite scoffed. "Obviously. Why would I dispose of my bargaining chip? She's safe, so long as you agree to my terms."

"I said yes, didn't I?!" She barked, ticked off.

"Very well. I'll see you at the Kindergarten then. We'll sit down, have a little chat over some tea...and we'll see in a fair fight, who the better Gem is. And make sure they don't follow. Because I'll know. And the second I know they're with you..."

He crushed a nearby stone under his foot. "Crack."

"Amethyst, you don't have to do this." Garnet said.

"Yeah G, I do." She replied, not looking back at her.

Mike and Amethyst had a short staredown, before Hematite spoke again.

"Don't be late."

And Amethyst replied.

 _"Same to you."_

* * *

 _ **Did somebody say swerved?**_


	26. Chapter 25: Amethyst

**_WARNING! This chapter contains some violence, so be prepared._**  
 ** _Again, thank you all so much for the positive feedback! It's what encourages me to keep writing this story!_**  
 ** _Although if you have any constructive criticism, please don't be afraid to share that as well!_**

* * *

Amethyst did not want to be back here. Obviously, she didn't have the experience Garnet did, her being a fusion and all, but the fact that all those deformed monsters were former Crystal Gems is just about the most horrifying thing she's ever seen or heard.

It's like the movies, but worse. Former friends becoming a weird disgusting monster.  
Only unlike the movies, there's no way to cure it. Like, how would someone even fix dead Gems who've been fused together physically by their Gemstones?

She never knew any of them, since she wasn't found until after they were already...well, gone.  
But that didn't mean it was any less freaky and fucked up.

Steven wasn't around, so she didn't care if she swore. Even if it was in her mind.  
The Gem constantly wrapped her whip around her finger and un-wrapped it repeatedly.  
She watched for any sign of Hematite. Any sign of his smug face so she could put it the ground.

She didn't care how risky it was, she was NOT going to take all of his crap lying down.

"Hello, Amethyst."

She stopped.

She looked around for him, her eyes darting around frantically to see him.

"Behind you." He said with a sigh of annoyance.

Her eyes were narrowed before she even faced him.  
When she turned, there he was. His face shaded by the darkness of his hat and the room around them.  
And in his hand, a slightly struggling pair of hands, with conjoined Gemstones imbedded in one of their palms.

A Cluster they must have left behind.

"Disgusting, isn't it?" He spoke, leaning against a wall, holding the hands up to eye level.

Amethyst ignored his words and got into a battle stance.

"Lower your weapon for a moment, runt. I just wish to speak peacefully, first."

"You threw peace out the fucking window when you beat the crap out of me, the nerd, and kidnapped Lapis, you colossal asshole." She cracked her whip onto the ground in front of her.

"Always fight first, ask questions later with you, isn't it?" He spoke. His way of talking was weird. He acts...smarter than her, but his tone was careless. The kind of tone she would have if she was paying only half attention to someone.

"Very well. But I still feel like talking first. Just a little discussion, that, I think you might agree with.  
About Homeworld." He looked at her, eyes filled with determination, and seriousness.

The Crystal Gem narrowed her eyes further, but waited to humour him.

"They're disgusting. I hate you. I hate the Crystal Gems as a whole. I hate Earth, and everything on it."

Nothing she didn't know already.  
It was what came next, that surprised her.

"But this...beyond death torture...is something I could never in my life condone."

"Huh, so there is some form of "not-assholeness" in you."

He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side, seemingly agreeing with her, oddly enough.

"I'm a horrible person. But I'm nothing compared to Homeworld. You were lucky enough to have not been found and retrieved by them. Shattered immediately for your underwhelming height and strength,  
or kept alive by some miracle and treated as an outcast for your entire life. You avoided that."

There he goes again with her height. Why is that a huge issue with him? She wondered to herself.

Hematite slowly lowered the Cluster creature and looked her right in the eye.

"I...wasn't that lucky. You were never on Homeworld, so you don't know what they're like."

"I know enough. Pearl and Garnet told me everything I need to know." She snapped.

"But it's not everything!" Mike snapped back, crushing the Cluster in his hand, a small puff of smoke enveloping his hand momentarily, before a fused Gemstone was revealed.

"You not being on there was probably the best thing that ever happened to you. To me? It was the worst thing that ever happened to me. Mike says he was treated unfairly, like an outcast.  
Imagine that, but add physical and mental abuse at the hands of your superiors, and you have me."

Hematite began pacing slowly, twirling the Gem between his fingers.

"They knew what I was. A defect. A Hematite born wrong. Did they do anything to accomodate that?  
Did they do anything to make me feel better about myself? No. No, they didn't. You want to know what they did?"

"Not really."

"They treated me like a weapon. A tool, and nothing else. Not an equal. Not a slight lower down.  
I didn't even get the treatment a Peridot would. I was treated like dirt. Like a doormat. A punching bag.  
Do you..." He calmed down. "Do you...have any idea...what it's like to be abused by people you thought you could trust?"

Amethyst didn't say anything. She didn't want to talk. She wanted to fight.  
But Hematite's booming voice convinced her otherwise.

"ANSWER ME!"

"No!" Amethyst replied, surprised by his tone. "No, I don't know what that's like! Is that where you're going with this?! You were abused growing up and now you're all bitter?!"

"It's more complicated than that, Gem." He spat. "You have literally NO idea. Yes, Mike was truthful when he spoke of a kind caretaker and mentor in Tourmaline. But she never so much as spoke to me.  
Not. One. Time. Because to Homeworld, Mike was the brains, and I was the brawn. He took care of the technicalities, the repairing, the fight strageties, and me? All I was used for was a weapon to mow down anything in my path."

"I didn't have someone like Tourmaline to guide me. They didn't think of me as a Gem, you see.  
No, Mike was the only one considered a Gem. All they ever saw me as was an extension of him, for when battles were too difficult. But you wanna know what the sad part is?"

He didn't want a response. He continued before Amethyst even decided if she wanted to say something.

"I wasn't always like this. Me and Mike, we despise each other. We both want the other to die, but neither of us can truly be the one to pull that trigger. But believe it or not, we were friends once."

"Like he'd ever want to be friends with a pyscho like you." Amethyst began walking forward.

She stopped dead in her tracks, however, when Mike produced Lapis' bubbled Gemstone.

"That's just it, though. I wasn't a "psycho" back then. The worst thing about me back then was anger issues.  
I'd get angry easy, and maybe I'd hit someone. Maybe. But for the first couple hundred years, Mike kept me concealed. Thought I'd be the straw that broke the camel's back when it came to his defectiveness.  
Then Homeworld found out about me. And with me, an opportunity."

Hematite came to a stop, and looked down at the two fused Gemstones in his hand.

"They thought, that with two personalities, one could be smart, but should the need arise, the second personality should be ruthless, emotionless, and not care who it kills. A sleeper agent, if you will. So they waited until it was my turn to take control- oh, that's another thing. We used to have turns. He'd get a week, I'd get a week, and so on. Like two brothers sharing a toy. They waited until I was in control, and every week I was,  
it was nothing but ruthless training, dangerous experiments, every second of every minute of every hour of every day. Not ONCE did I ever get a moment of rest. There were times when I'd be cowering in a corner in tears, just waiting for them to prep the next device they'd hook me up to, or serum they'd inject physically into my Gemstone..."

Amethyst wasn't sure, but she thought she almost heard a quiver in the elder Gem's voice.

"Years. Hundreds. Of. Years. Of nothing but pain, misery, abuse, while Mike was none the wiser,  
having no idea of what they did when I was in control. He'd see the bruises, the cuts, the blood stains on his clothing, and I'd just tell him it happened during a mission. At first, I didn't want him to worry about me.  
Eventually, that evolved into fear. Fear that I'd be beaten senseless for conversing with someone.  
I wasn't supposed to. The only thing I was supposed to do was kill. Brutaliaze. Eviscerate.  
I wasn't allowed to build relationships with anyone, because I was only supposed to be a weapon, not my own person."

He scowled and pulled a spiked, black broadsword from his gem.

"One day...I broke."

"What do you mean, broke?"

"I mean the pressure got to me. I was so sick of the pain, so tired of the poking and prodding, of the training where there was no holding back from my opponent. Sick of the beatings, of the being knocked down.  
For the next few weeks after that, all I would ever do is sit in a corner in my assigned room.  
I'd sit there, balled up against the wall, with a thousand year stare, without a word."

"Mike would ask me what's wrong, but I'd never answer. I couldn't. I felt dead inside. Every part of me felt dead. I had the mental capacity of a lifeless earth gemstone.  
And those damned Gems, they just observed. The Howlites, the Rhodolites..."

He clenched his teeth and squeezed his sword handle.

"The Peridots..." He said in a form of anger that Amethyst never heard from him before.

"And then...after weeks of just watching me, one Peridot, with a small green Gem on her chest, came up to me.  
She looked into my unresponsive eyes. Looked me over. Turned to the others, and said...

"Oh well. Put it down in the records as a failed project."

Right then and there, I snapped.

I lunged onto that snot nosed brat and tore her eyes out. I punched her until her face was nothing but blood and bruises. And when she poofed, I destroyed her Gem like I never have before or since.  
Stomped it, punched it, broke it into a thousand tiny pieces strewn around the room.

The rest of them were terrified. One moment I was practically comatose, and the next I'm murdering one of their colleagues in cold blood. Then, I killed them all. Scientists. Weak Gems that could barely put up a fight.  
Every one of them, ripped apart, their blood and gem shards covered the walls and floor.

By the time I was done, I was breathing heavily, exhausted, covered head to toe in the blood of them, and some of their shard dust stuck to my clothing. They were all dead. By my hands.

They got what they wanted. They got their ruthless killing machine. Only thing it cost them was their lives.  
What made me snap, you ask? That Peridot's phrasing. She was so careless. None of them even cared.  
Years of psychological and physical torture, and they just said "Oh well, better luck next time?"

"What are you saying?" Amethyst raised an eyebrow.

"What am I saying?" Hematite chuckled. He dropped the fused gemstones onto the ground.

"I'll tell you what I'm saying..." Amethyst heard in the most unenthusiastic voice she'd ever heard, before Hematite swung his massive sword into the ground, shattering the conjoined gem completely.

 ** _"I'M SAYING THEY RUINED MY LIFE FOR NOTHING!"_**

His scream actually startled Amethyst, making her get ready for battle once more.

 _"Years and years and **YEARS** of absolute **TORTURE!** Years of painfully injecting me of chemicals that made me feel like I was **DYING!** Years of beating every inch of LIFE out of me! Breaking me and turning me insane! ALL SO THEY COULD JUST GIVE UP!? They were just going to walk away after taking every little bit of happiness and will to live in me and **BEATING IT TO DEATH?!** And it was all just for an experiment they were gonna give up on just like that!? They were the straw that broke the camel's back, and I was the Gem that **BROKE THEIRS!"**_

Amethyst didn't know if she could watch this anymore. A Gem was having a mental breakdown right in front of her, out of nowhere. She wished she could just walk out of there right now, but she knew more than anything that wasn't what she was gonna do.

After several moments of stressed, teeth clenched nose breathing, Hematite eventually calmed down and returned to his low register.

"My life crumbled around me. Mike abandoned me because of my new violent personality, and every Gem that knew about me only saw me as one thing: A monster. Even though they did it to me.  
Mike didn't even ask about my new attitude. He just assumed I became that way.  
He was my friend. We were like brothers. We were part of each other. I thought he'd realize something was wrong and ask me. But he never did. I was dead to him, so from there on out, he was dead to me."

"Why tell me all this?" Amethyst asked, stepping forward.

"Hm?" Hematite needed to hear that again.

"Why tell me this?" She repeated. "Why not tell Mike, or even Garnet? Why tell me, of all people I don't understand any of this."

Hematite swung his sword up and held it in both hands.

"...I don't know." His tone, again, surprised the Crystal Gem. Not because he was loud or eerily quiet..  
but because he talked so normally. He sounded exactly like Mike. He was just using his normal voice,  
for the first time she'd ever heard.

"...I just...I don't know. I think...it's because I envy you, Amethyst. You and me, we're two of a kind.  
Like I said, we found ourselves in the same situation. Not looking the way we were supposed to, abandoned in the Kindergarten after the war...only you got to live a happy life away from Homeworld.

I was the complete opposite. My life was brutal and full of misery. I was surrounded by a dark, evil enviornment.  
Most people aren't aware they're insane. Heh...guess that makes me unique in a way."

"So then why the heck are you trying to kill all of us?! If what you're saying is true, then you're just a victim of the Gem Homeworld! What did WE do?!"

Hematite's eye twitched.

"Amethyst, I'm not a stable Gem. I'm not even sure I know why. Maybe I despise you for having a better life than me despite us both being born in the same situation. Maybe I hate the rest of the Gems because if they had just found me, I wouldn't have had to go through everything I did."

With that, Hematite himself got into a battle stance.

"So...are you ready?"

Amethyst cracked her whip. "You bet your ass I am."

Amethyst made the first move, but Hematite landed the first blow.  
He ducked from her whip and delivered a swift kick to the face, sending her back a bit.  
Amethyst wiped the drool from her lip and whipped at him again, this time from a distance.

Hematite ducked the first attack, but a second whip suddenly wrapped around his leg and yanked it out from under him.

The Gem quickly got onto his hands and knees, but before he could get back up he was smashed in the face by Amethyst's spindash attack.

Hematite let out a yell and fell onto his back. He placed a hand over his now bruised face.  
His scowl turned into a smirk when he got back to his feet though.

To Amethyst's shock, Hematite's face was healed when he removed his hand.

"Oh, come ON! You have healing powers too?!" She yelled.

Hematite shrugged. "Not as powerful as Steven's. Can't heal Gems, and it only works on me. But when it works,  
it works."

It was Amethyst's turn to scowl now, before she rolled up into a ball and spindashed toward Hematite again. But he was ready that time.

He raised his foot up and managed to smash Amethyst directly in the mouth, sending her into a wall.  
The purple Gem fell down to her hands and knees, dazed.

She let out a groan of pain as she slowly realized that blood was dripping from her mouth.  
And it took one glance at the floor to realize some of her teeth had been knocked out.

"You son of a bitch..." She muttered under her breath.

"Language, Amethyst." Hematite mocked from afar. "What would Steven think if he heard you say that?"

"Shut up!" Amethyst got up and thrashed her whip at him.

But Hematite caught it with both hands.

"After you."

He swung the whip with the strength of a mac truck, taking Amethyst with it, into another wall.  
The whip disappeared as she fell face flat onto the hard floor.

"Ugh..." Amethyst rubbed her aching head. Heck, her whole body ached at this point.  
Hematite clearly wasn't messing around. She didn't think he'd be this strong.

She took out her whip again, as Hematite approached with his sword.  
Just as he swung it down on her, she ducked and swung her whip around the blade.

She managed to wrench it out of her opponent's hands and swung it around and bluntly bashed him in the side of the head, knocking him to the ground.

He didn't move after he landed. Maybe she knocked him out, she thought.  
She cautiously approached him, her whip ready to fight more.

But she wasn't ready for what came next.  
Hematite tricked her. He waited until the Gem came close, and struck.

"AGH!" Amethyst let out a howl of pain as Hematite's sword ripped through her stomach, coming out the other side and staining her shirt with blood.

The sword was the only thing keeping her propped up, so she fell right to the floor once it was painfully ripped out.

Hematite watched as Amethyst moaned in pain in a growing pool of her own blood.  
He didn't relish in it. He didn't even enjoy it. He was just satisfied.

The Gem slowly followed Amethyst as she attempted to crawl away, sword slung over his shoulder.  
He put his foot on top of her, haulting her movements.

"You know Amethyst, I thought about our deal a bit." He spoke, kicking her over and kneeling down,  
pressing his foot hard against her gaping wound.

Amethyst growled at him, but could do nothing. The Gem had zero fight left after being impaled.

"We agreed that you would come here, and I wouldn't kill Lapis. And I am a Gem of my word. Lapis won't be harmed."

He pressed harder into her stomach, making Amethyst cringe.

"But...I never said anything about leaving her in a bubble for the rest of her existence."

Amethyst went to summon her weapon from her Gem, but Hematite grabbed her wrist and pinned it down.

"Stand down. If you couldn't beat me at full strength, you sure as heck can't now."

"So...now that I have you, I was thinking of going after Pearl next. What do you think?"

Amethyst spit blood in his face.

Hematite calmly wiped it off on his sleeve.

"Charming. Glad you agree."

His work done, Hematite cracked the Crystal Gem in the head with his, and her body exploded in a huge puff of smoke.

When it cleared, Hematite emerged holding a purple gemstone, which he then proceeded to encase in a black bubble.

"One down...three to go." He spoke to himself as he proceeded out of the Cluster chamber.

* * *

 _ **Uh-oh 0_0 Watch out, Pearl.**_


	27. Chapter 26: Forgiveness

_**I'm baaack! Miss me? Sorry for the long hiatus, but then again, if you're reading a SU fanfic, you're probably all used to that, huh?**_

 _ **Anyways, without any further ado, let's get this bad boy started for the first time in months!**_

* * *

It had been hours. How many, they didn't know.  
They had been waiting for Amethyst for hours to return, and she hadn't. Pearl, Garnet and Steven feared the worse.

Was she dead? Captured? Still fighting Hematite, even? They didn't know, and that was eating away at them.  
It was clear Hematite wanted only her to come so he could attempt at picking her off first, and considering her lengthy absence, that could have come to fruition.

For all they knew, it wouldn't be Amethyst walking through the front door...

Steven was the most worried out of all of them. He had lost so far Mike and Lapis, and losing Amethyst too to Hematite would kill a small part of his hope in stopping him, and maybe bringing Mike back.

He had been looking between the clock and door for all that time, refusing to sleep. It was exhausting him,  
but he didn't want to be asleep in case someone came in. All he knew for sure, was that someone likely would.  
The whole time, he clutched Peridot's Gemstone in his hands with care, hoping she would reform sometime soon.

Pearl took a look at the clock, almost as, if not more paranoid than Steven.

"Oh...she's been gone too long! We have to go see if she's okay!" She suddenly spoke out worringly.

"No." Garnet shot her idea down almost instantly. "If we go and find them still fighting, Hematite will kill Lapis.  
And we all know he's not afraid to do so. We'll wait here for him, or Amethyst. If it's Amethyst, we figure out what to do with his Gemstone. If not...we fight him as one."

"But what if he threatens Amethyst like she did Lapis? What do we do then?" Pearl asked.

Garnet was silent for a moment.

"...Then we do as he says." She replied.

She took a look at Steven, whom was visibly drowzy. "Steven, you should get some rest. We'll take care of anything that might happen."

"No, I'm fine!" He replied with a smile, before letting out a yawn. "I...I just want to know what'll happen, is all.  
I don't want to sleep right now."

Garnet nodded and leaned back in the couch.

It was only a few moments before the door was knocked on.

Everybody shot up. They hadn't even noticed anyone walk up the stairs, much less get to the door.  
Pearl got up to answer the door, but froze when it slowly started creaking open.

Everyone in the room stood up. Pearl and Garnet summoned their spear and gauntlets respectively.  
They all waited for the door to open and see who would enter.

Nobody appeared to be there. Not at first, at least.  
Garnet and Pearl looked at each other, and nodded.

Pearl began walking forward.

Steven looked at her with worry. But she looked at him and smiled, symbolically telling him she'd be alright.  
The white Gem slowly walked over to the door, and opened it the rest of the way. Still nobody.

She looked around, and saw nothing. She took a few steps back and lowered her spear and looked to Garnet with a face of relief and shook her head.

And that's when a black broadsword came out of nowhere and impaled her in the gut.  
Steven and Garnet gasped, and Pearl let out a yell of agony and staggered back, blood coming out as she did so.

Steven watched in horror, the place she was impaled eerily similar to the last time she had to reform.

However, before Pearl had the chance to poof immediately, another broadsword appeared and sliced her throat, releasing even more blood as a sickly, awful gurgling sound was the only thing Pearl could utter, before she fell backwards onto the ground, poofing on impact, leaving her smooth white Gem behind.

Garnet rushed to reach the Gemstone, but yet another sword was thrown through the recently fixed window, shattering it and landing at her feet.

As she stood there looking at the black sword, the culprit was all too obvious, as Hematite finally entered through the door, smirking, and walked right over to Pearl's Gemstone.

Garnet tried to make a move, but stopped dead in her tracks when Hematite placed his boot over the white Gemstone.

"That's far enough, Garnet." He spoke.

Garnet gritted her teeth and took a step back. "...Hematite."

"Yes Garnet, that is my name." He replied, reaching down and picking up the white stone, and surrounded it in a black bubble.

He looked at Garnet, and the two shared an intense moment of staring each other.  
Hematite eventually broke the stare when his eyes slowly traveled down and over to Steven, cowering and clutching Peridot's Gemstone. He smirked at the sight of it.

Then he chuckled. "...She's still out, huh? I must have hit her harder than I thought..." He muttered.

He took a step forward. "Once I'm finished with Garnet, I'll be coming for that little jewel." He said, pointing to Steven,  
who backed away and clutched it harder.

Garnet stepped in his way and blocked him from the boy. "That's big talk for a shrimp like you. I could crush you in five seconds if I wanted to."

Hematite stepped back and casually took out a sword, and breathed on it before polishing it with his sleeve.

"But you won't. For two reasons. For one, I know where your friends are. You'll never find them with me gone. And two,  
of course, you take me out, you take Mike out. Do you really want that, Garnet?"

Steven was a bit scared when she didn't answer at first. Her following answer didn't help him relax.

"...Mike would have wanted me to protect everyone from you. No matter the cost..." She began walking forward.  
Hematite began walking back as the fusion made her way towards him.

"He was always a morality centered runt. Thinks he knows everything, is the kind of guy who would sacrifice himself for those he cares about. Well, be that as it may, he's not here anymore. I am. And I'm not going down until I take every one of you with me. And that's a promise I made to myself as soon as I met all of you."

His back hit the wall, allowing Garnet to grab him by the throat and lift him up high into the air.

"A promise you can't keep." She said, before violently throwing the Gem through another window, smashing through it and landing violently on the beach, landing on his face.

Hematite sighed and got up, cracking his neck. "So much for the talk-her-down-and-throw-a-sword-at-Steven's-head-  
strategy..." He muttered.

Garnet hopped through the window and leapt off the porch, landing in the sand a fair distance away from Hematite,  
who growled and wiped some blood from his mouth.

Garnet scowled and got into battle stance.  
Hematite raised his fists and spit out some blood, before grinning.

"Let's get to it, then." He spoke, before breaking into a sprint towards Garnet.  
The fusion scoffed at his overconfidence and sprinted towards him, expecting the fight to be a cakewalk.

Little did she know, she had made the biggest mistake. The biggest mistake when fighting Hematite that Mike had told Steven days earlier. The mistake that could jeopardize your well-being.

Underestimating him.

As Garnet got ready to throw the first punch, Hematite slid down under her, coming out behind her, and kicked her in the back of the leg, staggering her a bit. He kicked her in the other leg once, staggering her more.  
He kicked again, knocking her down on one knee, just barely.

He summoned a sword and swung directly at her head, but Garnet was faster, and grabbed the blade with both gauntlet-clad hands, and swung him into a nearby rock.

He smashed into the rock hard, splintering it and sending small pieces of stone in all directions,  
as the Gem fell to the ground.

He groaned and stood back up. Garnet rushed him and just before she could strike, he took out a sword to block the blow.  
It protected him, but still sent him flying due to the fusion's superior strength.

"Give up! You can't beat me, Hematite!" She yelled as he landed on his feet.

He ignored her words and rushed her again, delivering blow after blow to the bigger Gem, each strike blocked by her seemingly indestructible gauntlets.

Strike after strike, blow after blow, all blocked by Garnet.  
Eventually, she struck his sword back when he swung it, knocking it out of his hands and knocking him back.

"You think what you do is amusing?" She came forward and brutally smashed him in the face with her left fist,  
hurting Hematite significantly and staggering him.

"You think you can abuct and threaten someone's life, as if it's your choice whether they live or die?!" She was visibly getting angrier, and punched him harder, sending him back more, but he stayed standing.

Hematite's face was bruised and bleeding at this point. He slowly looked up to face Garnet, but she punched him again.

"You want to hide like a coward and pick everybody off, refusing to face fair odds?! Abduct those close to me and threaten their lives?" Another punch. Then another. And another.

Hematite fell to his knees this time, refusing to stay down. But that choice was ripped from him when he looked up only to recieve the hardest punch yet, sending him flying far, and landing on his back.

Hematite groaned and attempted to get back up, but Garnet reached him first and pinned him down with her foot.

"Look at me." She said in a low voice, the lowest he had ever heard from her, as she roughly grabbed his head and forced him to look at her, as she took her visor off for the first time in his presence, looking him directly eye-to-eye.

Hematite looked helplessly up at her. The removal of her visor would have normally reduced her intimidating aura significantly, but the look in her eyes, pure anger, made her even more intimidating.

"You have no right." She snapped. "No right to be playing these games with us. No right to threaten them. Threaten us.  
Give me one good reason why I shouldn't destroy your face right now..."

Hematite laid there, her hand holding his head firmly, the gauntlet removed temporarily, right into her eyes.  
The next thing he did? Spitting in her face.

"Fuck you." He said.

Garnet snarled and raised her other fist, still wearing a gauntlet, and punched him in the face HARD.  
She raised it up again and grabbed his throat with her other hand and lifted him up a little.

She was ready to end it. Ready to either smash him in his face and poof him, or shatter his Gem and end it for good.  
Be rid of Hematite forever, so he couldn't hurt anyone else.

But...she couldn't.  
She couldn't do it. There he was, lying there prone, an easy target. Someone that's hurt Steven, hurt Amethyst, hurt Pearl,  
Lapis, Peridot, and her, lying there ripe for the pickings. And she couldn't do it.

When she looked at him, nearly out, in pain, refusing to back down, all she saw was a friend.  
A friend that tried to help Steven regain his powers. A friend that joined Amethyst in her activities to please her.  
A friend that because of them, Peridot joined them, and they didn't have to imprison her.

A friend that because of them, they could defeat Malachite and imprison Jasper, and rescue Lapis from her months-long imprisonment.

Mike.

And that's why she couldn't give that last punch. She didn't want to hurt him, much less kill him.  
That's not how she wanted to do this. While Mike would have ended it himself right now if he had the chance, she knew she could never forgive herself if she took him away from all of them. Especially from Steven.

So she slowly lowered her fist, and let go of his throat.

And Hematite didn't waste a second.

As soon as he was free, he jabbed Garnet in her left and middle eye, and dug his fingers in deep.

"AAurgh!" Garnet screamed out in pain as his fingers dug deeper and deeper into her eyes.

"Just...fucking...die!" Hematite yelled, digging his fingers in deeper. And deeper.  
Garnet's yells of agony got louder as she windly swung around, Hematite managing to dodge every swing due to her lack of focus.

As he dug his fingers in more, he used his foot to pin down Garnet's naked hand, exposing her right Gemstone.  
Sapphire's Gemstone.

Hematite summoned a sword and raised it high into the air, fully intent on shattering it.

"STOP!"

He looked up. Steven was there. He was standing a distance away from the two, tears in his eyes.

"Mike, stop! Please! Fight back!" He pleaded as Hematite had Garnet pinned down.

Hematite simply growled and got off of Garnet, ripping his fingers out of her eyes and charging directly at the boy.  
Steven gasped and turned and tried to run away, but Hematite was way too fast for him and grabbed him and wrapping an arm around him.

Steven yelled and struggled to break away from him. "Let me go!" He yelled.

Hematite turned around, just in time to see Garnet get to her feet, her left and middle eye bleeding, and scratched.  
She rubbed them and blinked a few times before her eyesight returned fully, only to see Hematite holding Steven.

Before she could even think of attacking him again, he raised his sword up to the boy's neck and pressed it against it.

"That's enough." He said. "Stay. There."

Garnet growled, but obeyed begrudgingly.

"Put away your gauntlet." He ordered, pressing the blade further into Steven's neck. "Or I'll kill him right here."

Garnet looked down, clenching her fists, and reluctantly got rid of her weapon.

Hematite spit out some blood. "Now...unfuse."

Garnet looked back up at him, surprised.

"Do it, Garnet." He pressed it in harder. "Or he dies."

Garnet gritted her teeth. She looked back down. And in a flash of light, she disappeared.  
And in her place, stood Ruby and Sapphire.

Ruby only had a few scratches, but blood was leaking down from behind Sapphire's hair, from her eye.  
The eye Hematite gouged when they were Garnet.

"Happy?!" Ruby stepped forward. "Now let him go!"

Hematite laughed.

"What's funny?" Sapphire asked.

"Oh, nothing." He replied, smirking. "I just find it so hard to believe two shrimps like you make up something like Garnet."

He dropped Steven, and suddenly frowned. "But now that you're both UN-fused..."

With that, he rushed forward and grabbed the two smaller Gems and lifted them high up, as they helplessly struggled.  
Steven got up and gasped. But before he could do anything, Hematite crushed their throats, and the two's bodies exploded,  
and their Gemstones fell harmlessly into the sand.

"No...!" Steven whimpered as Hematite scopped up the two stones and bubbled them.  
Just like that...he had almost every Crystal Gem in his possession.

Hematite made a walk towards Steven, and he backed away in fear in retaliation.  
"It was quite the struggle, wasn't it?" He said, walking forward. "Not Pearl and Amethyst, they were child's play."

As he walked, Amethyst's bubbled Gem suddenly appeared floating near his head.

"Amethyst was defective, and though I am too, she's defective in size and strength, while I'm defective in mind and looks."

He kept walking, as Pearl's Gem also appeared.

"Of course Pearl was no problem. She's a Pearl, for Diamond's sake. She wouldn't have lasted long if I had fought fairly!  
Her kind wasn't meant for fighting. They were meant for looking pretty and holding your things. She's a maid. A servant.  
Not a warrior. I'm surprised she survived the war. Not like she should have."

He kept walking, and shockingly, Jasper's Gem appeared!

"Huuuh?!" Steven's eyes widened. "How did you-"

"Get her Gem? Please, you think I went straight to the Kindergarten after I left before? No! I went to your little storage room and took it while you were all distracted. Figured I'd..."

His voice trailed off as he popped the bubble with his pinky finger, and the orange stone fell down into the sand.

"...Let her have her fun with you, before I stab her in the Gem with a destabilizer." He finished.

Steven almost wanted to run over and re-bubble her Gem, but Hematite stood in his way.

"But I'm getting off track. Back to the Gems..."

He kept walking, and Lapis' Gem appeared.

"And then we have poor, sweet Lapis..." His face suddenly turned somber, and he brought the bubble down to his face.

"Our stories are very similar, it seems. Both of us used to be happy. Cheerful, even."

But then his face turned angry.

"And then Homeworld destroyed both our lives. They trapped her in a mirror and abandoned her, left her for your Crystal Gems to find and keep trapped for thousands of years. And when she went back there, they treated her like a criminal. Imprisoned her, left her with pieces of garbage like Jasper and Peridot, forced her back here, and were going to lock her up again. Then, she fused with Jasper and was trapped for lord knows how long."

His face got angrier.

"And they used me. They treated me like an animal, destroyed my sanity, my morality and my care for others.  
Used me as a guinea pig for their experiments. Beat me. Insulted me. And threw it all away and gave up, after all they did to me..."

He looked up at Steven.

"All because of your mother and her damned army!" He yelled, his voice carrying across the whole beach.

Steven looked at him, shocked. He never heard of any of that before. He was...abused?

"If it wasn't for her starting this damn war, TWO things would have never happened to me! I never would have been trapped in this eternal hell, unable to be my own person, when I could have been my own Gem! Had my own destiny!  
But because everyone was so preoccupied with the war, they let me rot in the ground too long, and THIS happened!"

Steven was crying a little again. Tears were streaming down his face as Hematite came forward, everyone he cared about in his possession, and blaming his mother for his current state.

"And if they weren't so obsessed about creating weapons out of us to beat her, I never would have been used for experiments!  
You think I was treated as my own person back there? I wasn't! I was only treated as a back-up personality that they could test on, and if it didn't work out? Oh well, we tried! At least we have the other personality!"

He himself, for the first time Steven had seen now, had tears streaming down his face.  
He...was crying.

"It's because of you Crystal Gems that my life was filled with pain and mysery! And the only way I can get closure...is to kill her soliders and her damn SON!"

He was standing right over Steven now, tears streaming down both of their faces.  
Hematite had trouble keeping his angry expression, and Steven had trouble not bursting into tears.

"I-is that what this is all about?" The boy asked. "Because of what the war did?"

Hematite only looked back down at him.

"I-it's because the war is why you are the way you are?" Steven was trying hard not to sob.

"W-well...I'M SORRY!" He shouted.

Hematite looked confused.

"I-I'm sorry about what happened to you, Hematite! I'm sorry you're so sad about the way you are! But...but...IT'S NOT OUR FAULT!"

Hematite didn't say anything. He only looked back at the boy.

"I'm sorry about your sadness, but it's not our fault! Yeah, my mom started the war, but it was only because she was sick of Homeworld doing all of the stuff it was doing! Like what they did to you! Have you ever thought that - that maybe, you weren't the only one to be like who you are? Defective, you keep calling it? Well you can't be! It's because they did all those things that my mom started the war! And she probably didn't even want a war! I know that if she could,  
she could have fixed everything without any fighting! But she couldn't! Because Homeworld doesn't care about anybody else!"

Hematite's fists were unclenched.

"That's what I keep hearing, at least! That they don't care about anybody! That they're heartless, don't care about anybody,  
and don't care about who they hurt! But look at you! You're just like them!"

Those words hit him harder than any ever have. Hematite's eyes widened, fists unclenched, and he took a step back.  
"H...huh...?"

"You're being just as mean and heartless as you say they are! You're hurting me and all my friends because you're mad at us, but it's Homeworld that did what they did to you! Why don't you aim that anger at Homeworld, and not people who never did anything to you?!"

Hematite...didn't know how to reply to him. He was speechless. He had nothing to say.  
Was...was he right? Was he just like Homeworld...? Like...them...?

He looked down at the ground. ...He was, wasn't he...? He's doing exactly what they did...tormenting innocent people...

"And what about Mike?!"

He looked back up and his expression hardened. "What about him?"

"Why do you hate him?! What has he EVER done to you to make you hate him?! He's one of the nicest people I've ever met! And you two are apart of each other almost the same way Garnet is! You two are one! So how do you hate him?!"

"BECAUSE HE ABANDONED ME!" Hematite screamed back at him so hard it hurt his throat.

Steven looked shocked at his sudden outburst, and stepped back a bit.

"He never cared about what happened to me! He asked me one time, at the beginning of it all, if something was wrong!  
It wasn't that bad back then, so I told him I was fine. Then it got worse, I got hurt, beaten, abused, tested on,  
and he NEVER AGAIN asked me if something was wrong! He watched me go from being nice to becoming...THIS!  
And if he even cared ONE BIT about me, he would have known something was wrong, SO HE SHOULD HAVE ASKED!"

"AND YOU SHOULD HAVE OPENED UP TO HIM!" Steven yelled back angrily.

Before Hematite could say anything else, Steven spoke first.

"Why couldn't you just tell him about everything? Because you don't wanna open up about everything! Well that's...that's...BULL!  
He cares about everyone he knows can be a good person, but you never acted like one since those things happened to you! And...yeah, he may have never asked other than once, but that doesn't mean you couldn't have asked!  
You could have at any time! Just because you were bitter and mad at him doesn't mean you couldn't have asked!  
He would have listened and understood, and YOU COULD HAVE WORKED PAST IT!"

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?! YOU WEREN'T THERE!"

"BECAUSE HE STILL CARES ABOUT YOU!"

Hematite stopped dead. His anger vanished, and was completely replaced with confusion.

"Wha...what...?"

"He still cares about you, you...idiot! We talked about you one time, when nobody else was around, and you weren't listening!  
He told me he cares about you, because he CAN'T hate you! He KNOWS something was wrong, he was just too worried to ask because he knew YOU wouldn't open up! If he knew you'd tell him, he'd have asked a long time ago! He didn't realize it until it was TOO LATE! Because YOU lied and WOULDN'T tell him! This isn't his fault! OR yours! You were both just worried to talk to each other!"

Hematite didn't reply. In fact, he wasn't even looking at Steven anymore.  
He was just...staring off into space, as if he wasn't even conscious.

"Hem...Hematite...?" Steven stepped forward and poked him. He didn't reply.

"Hematite?" He snapped his fingers. Still, nothing happened.

...What was going on with him...?

* * *

Hematite didn't know where he was. He appeared to be in a black void. He seemed to be...nowhere.  
But soon, it came to him. It was the place he spent most of his life.

He was in he and Mike's mind.

He looked around to see anything, but saw nothing at first. He appeared to be alone.  
But then, he heard a voice speak to him. Say his name.

"Hematite..."

His voice.

No...not his voice...

He whipped around behind him to the source of his voice, and saw none other than...himself in a mirror.  
Only it wasn't him. It was Mike. Green eyes, soft expression, relaxing aura...it was him.

"...I heard everything." He said.

Hematite looked down, and put his hands in his pocket. "You...you did?" He muttered.

Mike nodded. "Everything. Homeworld...you...and me...I heard you and Steven talking. You were so distracted with him,  
you stopped repressing me, and...I heard it all. And... I'm sorry."

Hematite took a step back. "You...you're what...?" He asked to be sure. His voice wasn't low, or dark, but it was...shaky.  
And unsure of himself.

Mike walked forward and stepped out of the mirror, walking right up to Hematite.

"You were right. I...I didn't ask, when...when everything hit the fan, and you started acting violent and careless.  
And...I'm sorry."

"You...you are...?" He asked again, almost not believing what he was hearing.

Mike nodded in response, before his expression hardened, just a little.

"It...it doesn't mean I forgive you for the things you've done to everyone. And it doesn't justify it.  
But...I know that it's partially my fault, and...I'm sorry."

And before Hematite knew what was happening, or he could stop it, Mike wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into an emotional hug.

Hematite stood there, tears streaming down his face as it happen, not having a word to say.

"...I still care about you. Even after everything you've done...I still think of you as a brother to me.  
Not a very good one, but...a brother, nonetheless. I never stopped caring about you. No matter..." He choked up a little.

"No matter...how many times I told you I hated you...I had no idea what that must've made you feel...with the way you are...  
but that never meant I stopped caring about you. You're...you're family to me. All those dark days on Homeworld when I was down and Tourmaline wasn't around...I still had you. You cheered me up those days, up until everything happened."

Hematite's expression softened.

"It doesn't mean what you did was justified. You still hurt everyone. I need to emphasize that. But...I also need to emphasize that I still care about you. And I always will...I just wanted you to know that."

Hematite pushed him away, surprising Mike.  
He turned away from him.

"...Go back to him. Set em' all free."

"Hematite..." He started.

"Just go..." He said.

Mike waited for a moment, but nodded. "...I care about you, still."

Hematite was silent for a moment.

"...Yeah. I know. Just...just go." He replied.

Mike nodded and turned his back to him.

"Mike?"

He turned back. "Yeah...?"

Hematite turned back to him. "Tell them...tell them I'm sorry. And that they don't have to worry about me anymore."

Mike felt like saying something, but just nodded. "...I will."

* * *

Steven had popped everyone's bubbles, and their Gems were laying safe in the sand.  
He sat in front of Hematite, and waited for him to do something. He still didn't.

He sniffed and looked down.  
This was all a huge mess. Mike was gone, Hematite's not responding to anything he says...  
And it all happened because his Gem got cracked.

Steven looked down and let out a sigh, not knowing what else to do other than wait for everyone to reform.

...And then, he heard a sound.  
He looked up, and saw that Hematite had fallen flat on his face in the sand.

"...Hematite?" Steven got up and nudged him. This time, he got a response. Well, sort of.  
The Gem lifted himself up onto his hands and knees, letting out some breaths.

"Man...heh...she hit him harder than I thought."

Steven's spirit's suddenly rose through the roof. Did he just say...he, and not me?  
He came a little closer to him.

"Hematite...?" He asked.

The Gem in front of him slowly shook himself awake fully, and slowly looked up at Steven with his eyes.  
His two green, sparkly eyes.

Mike was back.

"MIKE!" Steven smiled and glomped the Gem, almost knocking him on his back.  
Mike looked at him, ever relieved to see he was okay, and hugged him back tightly.

"Steven..." He replied, smiling back.

The boy sniffed. "I...I thought y-you...I thought you were gone..." He said, trying to hold in his excitement.

"Nah, I'm fine buddy..." He replied, patting him on the back. "I can't be gotten rid of that easily..."

Steven pulled away for a moment, and his expression changed to slight worry.

"But...what about Hematite?" He asked.

Mike looked down, and sighed. "I...I told him how I still cared about him, and...that I was sorry. And...he was too."

"Really?" He asked.

"...Yeah. He didn't say anything, but I could tell. But, he did tell me to tell you he's sorry. For everything."

Steven smiled and looked down. "...Really? That's great! Is...is he gonna be okay?"

It took Mike a moment before he shrugged. "I...I'm not sure. Homeworld...Homeworld messed him up bad.  
I don't know if he'll ever recover, but...if he lets me, I'll try to help him get through it. Y'know, make up for all those years..."

Steven nodded. "I...I hope he's fine."

"Me too, Steven."

Steven hugged him again. "I was really worried about you..."

Mike rubbed his head, thankful that the two could be embracing right now. "You don't have to be anymore. I'm not going anywhere."

Steven smiled again. "...Should we take everyone back to the house?"

"That'd be great. I'm kind of sick of all this craziness for today."

"Well, that's a shame." An all to familiar voice spoke out.

Mike and Steven's blood went ice cold at the sound of it. The two of them slowly turned to look behind them,  
and saw none other than Jasper, smirking and fully reformed.

"...Because I think we have some unfinished business, Hematite." She continued, walking forward.

Mike scowled, pulled away from Steven, stood up, and put his hands over his face, healing his wounds he recieved from Garnet, and pushed Steven back a little.

"Jasper." He said through gritted teeth.

"Hematite, you are pathetic." She spat, coming forward. "You couldn't last five seconds with me in a real fight.  
You had someone bail you out, because you're WEAK. Do you think I've forgotten about your betrayal while I was imprisoned?  
Hah! All I did when I was trapped in that Diamond forsaken bubble was imagine all of the most creative ways of killing you."

Mike took out a sword, and pushed Steven back more. "Jasper...I'm warning you. Back up!"

"I don't think so, traitor." She replied. "You think I can't see all those Gems on the ground?! You have nobody to bail you out this time!" She summoned her crash helmet.

"Step aside." She ordered. "Last time we spoke, I believe I was trying to have that abomination behind you be put down?"

He growled, coming forward.

"Mike, no!" Steven urged, but he ignored him.

"That's right..." She uttered, too quiet for the Gem to hear. "I was going to kill it and bring you and all your rebel friends back to Homeworld to stand trial for your crimes! But right now...I'm thinking of killing them all! And bringing YOU back!"

Mike's grip on his sword tightened as he got closer.

"You're a traitor, and you damn well know it!" She continued. "You betrayed your home planet just because you met a couple of chumps who were nice to you? Pathetic! You should be ashamed to call yourself a Gem! You're nothing but a coward!"

"Shut up!" Mike yelled, and swung at her, missing by about a mile when she dodged.  
She smirked, and delivered a hard kick to the gut.

Mike recoiled, but recovered quickly and swung again, and again missing.  
Then Jasper made her move. She swung her head down at him, but Mike swiped it away with his sword.

She tried again, and he hit it away again.

Mike kicked Jasper in the gut, just as he did last time, and made some distance between her and himself.

"You're calling me a coward?" He said, running away. "Hah! You're the one that attacked me when I had no strength do fight back!  
I couldn't have defended myself then! And you took advantage of it!"

"That's not cowardice, that's called strategy!" She replied, running after him. "And there's a difference!"

She leapt up into the air, rolled into a ball and charged up, before launching down at him head first.

 _"You're so weak it makes no difference!"_

Mike raised his sword up to block the blow, but when Jasper landed, and her helmet struck his blade, it broke it two.

Mike looked at the broken blade in shock. It had NEVER been broken before! He...he thought it was unbreakable!  
He looked up at Jasper, who punched him as hard as she could in the face, which hurt way more than any of Garnet's punches, and sent him flying into a boulder, completely destroying it without a trace.

Mike lie there dazed for several moments, trying to collect himself, when he heard talking.

"C'mere, shrimp!"

"No, get away! Mike, heelp!"

And then there was an impact.

Mike's eyes widened, and he forced himself up, and shook himself straight.  
He looked over to where Steven was standing, and stopped dead.

Jasper was holding the unconscious boy by the arm, and everyone's Gemstones were now surrounded in orange bubbles.

Mike gasped and ran forward, only to be swatted away like a fly by Jasper.  
She dropped Steven, made all the bubbles disappear, and grabbed Mike, and pinned him against the wall.

"I think this time took even less effort!" She laughed cruelly as she violently pressed him into the wall.

Mike grunted. "Ugh...why can't you just go away?!" He screamed, swinging at Jasper with his fists.  
Jasper retorted his powerless punches by grabbing his wrists and pinning them to the wall instead, leaving his Gemstone wide open.

"I changed my mind..." She said, putting pressure on his wrists. "I'm just gonna kill you right here, and bring all your weak friends back to Homeworld! Now...where is the ship you came here in?!"

Mike spit in her face.

She replied by headbutting him with her helmet. "Brat...fine! Then this is it for you!"

With that, she reeled her head back, helmet on, aimed right at his Gem.  
That's it. THIS would end him. It would only take one hit from that thing in this position to shatter it.

"JASPER!"

Jasper's head snapped back.

Mike immediately realized who's voice that was and couldn't help but let out a snicker.  
Twice now, he thought.

He looked, and sure enough, there stood Peridot, reformed and well, aiming her blaster right at Jasper's back.

"Put the clod down, you...clod!" She demanded, her arm cannon fully charged up.

"YOU?! What do you think you're-" Jasper suddenly made a face of realization. "Wait...back when I almost had him...  
everyone else was defeated...the only one who would've had a destabilizer was..."

"Me." Peridot replied.

Jasper dropped Mike. "YOU?! You betrayed Homeworld too?!" She yelled. "Peridot, you traitor, how could you?!"

Peridot stepped forward. "Simple. I was treated with more respect by Hema...Mike, than I ever was by you! And I wasn't betraying Homeworld, you thick-headed clod! I was betraying you!"

Jasper growled. But then, she laughed. "Funny. Very funny. You think you've one, haven't you?"

Peridot only glared back at her.

"...Hah! You do, don't you?!" She began a walk towards her. "You think that little toy can destroy my body with one hit?  
Or if you can even hit me at all!"

"S-stand back!" Peridot threatened, stepping back herself. Now, she was beginning to realize how stupid a move she just made.

"Oh, when I get my hands on you..." Jasper muttered, getting dangerously close to the Gem.

Peridot raised her weapon and fired, but Jasper grabbed her arm and jerked to the left at the last second,  
sending the blast down the beach and harmlessly hit a rock and destroyed it.

Jasper then grabbed Peridot by the face and lifted her up into the air, and started applying pressure.

"Mmmmph!" Peridot yelled, only coming out as indesipherable mumbles, and started beating on Jasper's large fist,  
not budging her at all.

Just as she applied more pressure, a returning Mike leapt onto her back and wrapped his arms around her neck.  
Jasper let Peridot drop to the ground and reached up and grabbed Mike, then grabbed Peridot again, and proceeded to slam the both of them into the ground.

Jasper got ready to break Mike's Gem with her helmet again, but was stopped when Peridot climbed over him to protect him. She looked behind her at Jasper with a glare.

Peridot looked at the position the two were in at the moment, before bursting out laughing.

"So that's how it is?" She laughed. "You want to protect each other?"

The two Gems looked at her with angry faces.

Jasper scoffed and walked over to Steven's body. She hoisted him up over her shoulder as her helmet disappeared.  
"Fine. You two want to finish this? Go to the Galaxy Warp, and find the warp pad that'll lead to an old Gem fighting ground.

You want to complain that I'm a coward? Then we'll fight like warriors! And I'll see how quickly it takes to break you two!"

With that, Jasper leapt high into the air, rolled into a ball, and propelled herself away.

Peridot let out a breath and turned to look at Mike. "Are you, um...alright?" She asked, before blushing upon realizing what position theywere in, with Mike lying down and Peridot on her hands and knees on top of him.

Mike blushed and scratched his head. "Uh, yeah... I'm pretty good." He replied.

Peridot quickly got off of him and awkwardly looked away.

Mike sat up, and attempted to refocus themselves. "...That's the second time you've saved me from her."

Peridot shrugged. "It's not over yet, I suppose." She replied.

Mike nodded. "...Guess not."

"What do we do? We're not gonna follow her, are we?" She asked.

"Of course we are!" He replied. "We have to save everyone!" He got up and began to race towards the house.

Peridot reluctantly followed. "How did she even get free? I thought she was trapped!"

"That's not important now." He replied. "What's important now is that we save them!"

"Are you crazy?" Peridot caught up to him. "You expect me to fight that walking warship?"

"What else are we going to do, Peridot?" He asked, looking at her. "We're not just gonna let her take them and kill them, are we?"

Peridot rolled her eyes. "Fine..."

"Good." He nodded, and they continued their run towards the temple.

 _Hold on, Steven..._ Mike thought to himself worringly

* * *

 ** _Well, that was a big bombshell, huh? Did someone say, "Hijacked the plot?"_**

 ** _See you all in the next chapter!_**


	28. Ignore this!

**_Hey, guys! Just ignore this, this is just an extra space so you'll be able to leave a review on the next chapter!_**


	29. Chapter 27: The Final Battle

_**HELLO! Remember me?! Yeah guys, I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry for the VEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERY long absence, but I have been so busy trying to improve my writing skills!**_  
 _ **This is the final chapter before the epilogue, so I really, sincerely hope you enjoy!**_

 ** _Here we go!_**

* * *

It was quiet. Eerily quiet. Nothing but the sounds of machines buzzing and whirring. This...was where it all started.  
Jasper smirked, as she sat in the cockpit. The cockpit of a Gem Warship.

Mike's Gem Warship. From when he first crashed on Earth.  
It was easy for Jasper to find, of course. Heck, she did it by complete accident. The grey Gem did a very poor job of hiding it.  
It was still in perfect working condition, and she had already taken off. The orange Gem had already locked the others in cells, and relaxed at the thought of bringing a brigade back to Earth with her to wipe out those two remaining fools.

Of course she could have done it herself. In fact, she detested Hematite the most, aside from Rose. But he was getting there.  
But it was more fun to her to leave the two there on Earth, helpless, while he knew that he failed his little friends. And all he'll do is wait and cry and hug his little traitor of a Peridot until they return to crush them.

Jasper looked at the cameras, surverying all of the Gems in the cells; still bubbled. So no more prison breaks. As for the boy...  
She glanced over at Steven, who was sitting in a chair, bound and gagged as he nervously looked at her.

...He was rescuing nobody.  
"I hope you're satisfied, Rose." Jasper spat, a huge grin spread on her face. "I hope you've gotten all your little rescue attempts out of your system.  
I've no clue why simple human restraints can hold you, but I guess it's what you get for choosing such a weak...WEAK form."

Steven shook, beads of sweat running down his forehead. Indeed, the child was trapped. Even if he could break free, Jasper was right there,  
just waiting, begging for him to make a move.

"It's a shame..." Jasper brushed a stray strand of hair from his face. "You were a marvelous, graceful Gem. And you mucked it up. Betrayed us,  
manipulated so many into joining you..."

She grabbed the collar of his pink shirt. "No more, you hear me? It's over. You'll sit there, and watch, helpless, as I hand you and your pathetic friends over to the Diamonds, and they personally decide what to do with you. Let's see...the two who make up that DISGUSTING fusion will be shattered along with you, the runt will be processed for re-assimilation, and the Pearl...well, let's just say her old owner has missed her pretty little poodle."

Steven's eyes widened. Was this it? No, no, it couldn't be, could it?! But...they were all trapped, and Mike and Peri were still on Earth!

Or so he thought.  
In fact, as Jasper was wrapped up in her gloating, the cameras behind her revealed the two, Mike and Peridot, rounding a corner, speaking to each other.  
-

"I'm surprised you knew she'd be here, Hematite..." The green Gem said, looking around. "Also nice to see you didn't destroy this ship, judging by your piloting skills..."

The green Gem remained stubborn, but even she could not deny that she dreaded the thought of Jasper getting to Homeworld for the others.  
But...only because she'd be captured, too! It was only she herself that she cared about!

Mike shrugged. "I had a feeling. She knew full-well I had a ship. We're just lucky she didn't nab us..."  
A pause, as she looked at her. "Peri...I know this is a bad time, but if we don't make it-"

"Shush." A green finger flew to his lips, cutting the Gem off. "Save your compliments to me for later. For now, it is time to enact our plan."  
Mike looked down slightly. Stopped again...what a lovely day.

"Uh...right, right." He replied, scratching his head. "So, wanna go over it again? My...memory's not so good right now. I'm still a little jumped up there."

"Ugh...!" Peridot made it clear she was annoyed as she brought up a screen, which revealed all of the cameras of the ship, showing the cells, Jasper,  
everything. "I've hacked into your ship's cameras with my tech. You will go and find your clod-friends, and I'll inform you of Jasper's location,  
and if she's coming. If she is, I will warn you to vacate the area quickly. Should she find you, you will die a horrible, painful death, and then I will follow suite, and die. You get them, you pop their bubbles, and you storm the bridge and aquire the Steven, and finally, take care of Jasper.  
And, should it prove neccessary..."

She raised her right hand, which formed into a blaster. "I've engineered my limb enhancer with some of the tech in this ship, so that I can fire through walls, and safely hit Jasper from a distance. And should it not defeat her, it will at least buy you some time. Understood? Because I will not repeat myself again. We're lucky she hasn't already noticed us." She said, scooting just under one of the cameras.

Mike nodded in response. It was definitely a risky plan. But it was their only choice, and they had one shot.  
Of course, he was afraid. Who wouldn't be? This was JASPER, for crying out loud. If she found them, she'd kill them both with little effort.  
And heck, he already felt bad for taking Peri's old life from her. He vowed he'd make things better for her, and he promised her it wouldn't end here.  
Even if she didn't share the feeling he had for her...she deserved a happy life.

He nodded. "Yeah...yeah, I got it. Thank you so much for the help, Peri." He said, giving her a friendly hug.  
At least, that was a facade. He just wanted to know how it felt in case he didn't return.

Peridot blushed in return, looking around awkwardly. The hug was...warm, she guessed?  
She patted his back. "Very, uh...very good. Feel free to praise me after this. Diamond-knows I deserve it."

Mike nodded, and pulled away. Without another word, he turned and went down the hallway, as Peridot placed a hand on her hip and looked at the cameras. Jasper was still gloating to Steven, and the boy was getting increasingly terrified.

Honestly?...If she were capable, she'd likely have wet herself already. Peridot wanted no part of this, but it's only to save her hiney.  
And, to be honest...she didn't want Mike to die.

"Alright, keep true." The green Gem said through an ear-piece Mike wore. "Easy, easy...avoid that camera there...keep to the wall..."  
Mike sweated as he avoided the cameras. "Can you see them? The others?" He asked. "Are they ok?"

"Shush!" The green Gem snapped. "Yeahyeah, they're, uh, not shattered. Just keep going...aaaaand...yooooooouuuu're...there!" She said the precise moment the grey Gem turned the corner to the cells. "Now, just keep your mouth shut and get them. I'd personally recommend the fusion,  
despite how uncomfortable she makes me. At least she will have a chance against that... what do you call her, Cheeto-Puff...?"

Mike nodded, and snuck over to the prison cells.  
Peridot swiped her screen and pressed it a few times. "Aaaand...there!" She said, as the destabilzation fields over the cells came down. "Grab them,  
Hematite!"

Mike nodded, and rushed through the cells. Amethyst, Pearl, Ruby and Sapphire were grabbed, fast as she could, as Peridot glanced at the cockpit camera.

She paled.

Jasper was gone. Steven was alone in the room, looking in the direction of the exit.  
"No! No, no, no, no, where IS she!?" She flipped through camera feeds. "Hematite, get out of there! She knows you're there, she's-!"

"HEMATITE!" Jasper's voice roared throughout the ship.  
Mike froze, and slowly turned. The bubbles of the others surrounded him as he saw the hulking orange Gem standing there, smirking.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" She said as she walked forward, Mike backing away. "I thought I left you for the buzzards...seems you're even more stubborn, and FOOLISH, then I thought!"

"J-Jasper, c-calm down!" Mike said, raising a hand. "I just came for my friends, I had no intent to come after you! Look, you can take the ship and go home, ok?! Just leave us alone?" He offered, despite already knowing the answer.

She snickered. Then chuckled. And finally, she delved into a maniacal laugh.  
"You REALLY think, that after ALL you've done, after all THEY'VE done, that I'm just going to let you go?" She advanced on him, cracking her knuckles.  
"No...you and your little pals will pay, Hematite. You'll pay for your treachery. Your job was to get me, Lazuli and that Peridot. And what did you do?  
You began ASSOCIATING, becoming FRIENDS with the very Gems that marooned us here! And then, and THEN, you captured me, and just locked me away?!"

Mike stepped back as she got closer. Definitely not the best position...and he saw no way out, unless Peri did something.  
"I had no choice, you were mad-!"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" She boomed, surprising him. "I am done with YOU, I am done with THEM, and I am DONE with this dirtball you call a planet! We are going back to Homeworld, and you're coming with me to the bridge to join Rose. I want you to be the first to be shattered..."

Just as she reached a hand for him, it happened.  
Peridot, looking at the camera, found Jasper's exact coordinates, and fired a shot. It blasted right through the walls like butter, going through at least three en route to Jasper, the walls cutting with ease.

Jasper froze, looking around. "What is...?" She looked at Mike. "What are you planning?! Who's on here with-"

BOOM!  
An explosion rocked the ship as Mike was sent flying back, slamming into a wall.  
The Gem groaned, rubbing his head as his vision was blurry. It must've been...Peridot? Jeez, she could have at least told him it packed that much of a punch...

He slowly got to his feet, holding his arm as he looked around. The others...their bubbles had all been spread out.  
Jasper...was nowhere. Mike slowly walked forward, observing the wreckage. He turned to the holes in the wall curiously, and looked inside.  
Waaay, way down, Peridot was there, sweating and breathing heavily.

She slowly looked at him as she lowered her blaster...and smirked.  
"Go...for three?" She joked, giving a weak. "Nyeh, heh, heh..."

The Crystal Gem smiled, chuckling. "Go for three..." He said, about to over to her...  
And then a large orange fist slammed him in the arm, completely breaking it as Mike let out a scream of agony, and he fell to the floor, writhing in pain.

"Hematite!" Peridot yelled, then quickly covered her mouth as Jasper turned to her, murder in her eyes as she saw her.  
An inch. She missed her by an inch.

"YOU." She said with pure venom in her voice as Peridot stepped back.  
Jasper began making her way straight through the holes, making a bee-line for the green Gem.

Peridot raised her blaster, ready to fire...  
And it fell apart. Already very damaged, her limb enhancer crumbled from the last shot, it's pieces falling to the ground and exposing her slightly shorter arm. She paled, stepping back, before breaking into a sprint.

Unfortunately, Jasper was much quicker and grabbed her by the feet, and tore the limb enhancers from her feet, and Peridot fell to the ground with a thud. Jasper effortlessly crushed the boots in her fists, and threw them to the ground.

Peridot sat up, turning to her in utter fear. Her only defense mechanisms...gone. Now the green Gem was slightly shorter, maybe about an inch.  
She aimed her remaining blaster at her, but Jasper grabbed it, tearing it off and throwing it away, smashing against the wall.

"Traitor." She spat, advancing on her, the orange Gem covered in scratches. "Another act of treason to put on the list..."

"Now, Jasper, we can talk about this!" Peridot begged, scooting away. "This doesn't need to happe-"

"SHUT IT!" She yelled.

Meanwhile, Mike groaned as he got up, holding his arm as he looked through the hole.  
"...PERIDOT!" He yelled, seeing the scene before him. A defenseless Peridot, at the full mercy of Jasper.  
No, not her! Not her, he couldn't lose her!

The Gem forced himself to his feet, ignoring his arm as he ran. He ran for her, as Jasper hoisted Peridot up, summoning her helmet.  
She reeled her head back, ready to headbutt her directly on her triangular stone.

"NOO!" Mike yelled as he leapt for her, tackling Peridot right out of Jasper's grip, and the two fell to the ground.  
And as soon as they touched...they began to glow.

A white light enveloped the two Gems as their forms seemed to merge, the light blinding Jasper as she stepped back, raising an arm to defend her eyes. "What the...?!"

Indeed, it was happening before her very eyes.  
They were fusing. The merged form raised into the air slowly, extending four arms, a garment forming between her legs, and spikey hair from their head, before they landed on the ground, and the light dispersed.

"What in the name of Pink Diamond...?" Jasper took a step back as she looked at the figure before her.

The Gem before her was a beautiful turquoise color, and stood taller than Jasper by two inches.  
Dark green gloves covered her hands and up to her elbows, along with knee-high stockings, and dark turquoise legwarmers.  
She wore a dark green leotard, and over the leotard, a black fabric that wrapped around her body, and fell between her legs like a dress on both sides. Ring-like objects wrapped around her shoulders, and she had messy, spikey hair.  
And finally, she bore Peridot's visor, Peridot's gemstone in her forehead, and Mike's gemstone above her chest.

The fusion let out a laugh, and drew an elegant green rapier from Mike's stone, and aimed it at Jasper.  
"Viens moi, brute!" She cheered in French, as Jasper summoned her crash helmet.

"Who are you?!" She snapped. "What kind of disgusting mess did those runts cook up?!" She spat.  
Great...ANOTHER fusion?! Damn it! First the Ruby and Sapphire, then her and Lazuli, now THIS?!

"Sacr bleu!" She exclaimed. "Excuse moi, I forgot to introduce moi! How could I be so grossier!?" She spoke in a fluent, heavy French accent.  
She bowed. "Je suis Turquoise, Madam! I am Lady Turquoise! I will be your opponent today, and I will be victorious, chienne!"

Jasper growled. "Enough of your gibberish! And come at me, you FREAK!" She roared, spinning into a ball and shooting at her.

"Oh-HO!" She cheered. "She IS hotheaded! This shall be fun!" She raised her blade, and she too rolled into ball, and shot at her.  
The two balls clashed, sword hitting helmet as the two engaged in a struggle.

 _"This...what is this?!"_ Peridot's voice echoed in Turquoise's head. _"I feel so...powerful!"_

 _"W-we fused!"_ Mike said in amazement. _"We're a fusion now! Now...we can fight Jasper!"_  
This was amazing! He had never fused with a Gem before, and his first was Peridot! He actually got to fuse with her, and it felt amazing!  
No feelings of being weak, no broken arm...he felt invincible!

Turquoise pushed against Jasper, winning the struggle as she shoved her, sending her ball smashing into the wall.  
"La victoire!" She said. "Try again, brute!"

Jasper snarled, looking to her left, where a Gem Destabilizer lay on the ground. She picked it up, turned it on, and hopped to her feet, running at her. She thrust it forward, but Turquoise backed away, avoiding it. "Trop lent!"

She swung it, and Turquoise sucked her gut in. "Trop lent!"  
Jasper yelled, shoving it forward, and Turquoise hopped up, the weapon going between her legs.  
She snapped her legs over Jasper's wrist, trapping it, and slapped her in the face playfully.

Jasper growled, swinging her other fist, which the green Gem caught. She smiled, and smashed Jasper in the face with her fist, sending her flying into the wall. The orange Gem slammed, and fell to the ground, her helmet disappearing as she groaned, getting on her hands and knees.

Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her throat, and Turquoise hoisted her up as she applied pressure.  
Jasper struggled, but the green fusion wrapped another arm around her arms, and her other two hands clamped down on her wrists.  
"Naughty, fille m chante! Naughty, naughty girl! I think you need to be put down for your sieste! Your nap!"

Jasper moaned, struggling. "You...traitorus...bi-"  
Turquiouse slipped a hand over her mouth. "Shhhh, shh-shh-shh...aller dormir. Go to sleep, little Jasper."  
The pressure was getting to Jasper's form, as her body glitched for a moment, her eyelids falling halfway down as she could do nothing,  
but sit there and struggle against her stronger foe.

She moaned, which was muffled, as she pulled with little strength, and Turquoise pet her hair, patronizing her. "Shh...no more fighting. You will sleep,  
and we will decide what to do with you, Mademoiselle...shh..." She cooed.

She was being patronized! No...not like this! Not like a weakling...! She couldn't be beaten by this...fusion!"  
"How does it feel?" Turquoise whispered, her lips nearly touching Jasper's ear. "How does it feel, being weak, helpless, unable to fight back?  
Fighting a foe who is too much for you? Hm, Jasper?" She asked, without the French accent.

Mike was speaking to her.

"Mmm-mmmph!" Jasper struggled, and the arm was tightened around her neck.

"Jasper...I didn't want this to happen.." He said. "I wanted you to stay with us. Maybe we could have been, I don't know, friends? But you're just too stubborn. But while I'm not as skilled in friend-making, I'm sure Steven will turn you right around. After all, look at me now..."

"Jasper..." Peridot spoke. "I know you only as a rude, impulsive brute that just wants to get the mission done, and strives off of bullying weaker Gems.  
However...I may give you a chance, if you give us one. We will see you again soon, I suppose. Just remember one thing..."

"We are stronger than you." They boy said, which turned into Turquoise's voice halfway through.

"Au Revoir..." Turquoise whispered, before Jasper's neck was snapped quietly, and the orange Gem disappeared in a cloud of smoke.  
The fusion caught her orange gemstone, and encased it in a turquoise bubble.

She sighed. "Pas m me une sueur..." She said, straightening her garment. "Ah...for my first time...it was an incredible experience. Ah, I must split now, no? Tr s bien..."

With that, the fusion glowed white, and came apart, and Mike and Peridot separated, Mike's hands on her waist, Peridot's hands, her real hands,  
on his shoulders as they realized their position, both of them blushing.

Mike looked at her hands, feeling them on his shoulders. "I've...never seen your real hands before..." He whispered.

Peridot looked down. "I've never fused before."

He looked at her. "Yeah, me neither...why haven't you?"

"Other than being strictly prohibited...it makes me uncomfortable. Except...except that one..."  
She looked at his face. "I...I liked it, Hematite...it made me feel powerful, strong, and..."

Her voice trailed off. "I...I felt all of your feelings."

He cleared his throat. "Me...me too. I felt all of yours..."

"And I now am aware that you...love me?" She asked.

He nodded, his face blushing hard. "And you...love me?"

"Ugh...n-no, of course not! Why would I love you?! I love nobody but me, the great of lovable Peri-"  
She was cut off as Mike's lips met her's, the green Gem's eyes widening as her face flushed, her pupils shrinking as a feeling washed over her.  
Acceptance. Care. Safety. Warmness.

Love.

She slowly closed her eyes, and kissed the gray Gem back, letting out a tiny moan as she blushed out of pure embarrassment.  
Humoring him...yes, that's what she was doing! Humoring him, because she felt so bad for him! Humoring him...and...

And herself. Because good Diamond, she was loving this. She could get used to this...  
They continued to kiss, their embrace growing warmer as Mike thought to himself.  
Finally...finally, after thousands of years, finally...they were together. Years of being to scared to tell her, and here they were, kissing...  
And she wasn't hitting him or yelling at him...

After what seemed like forever, the two pulled away, a thin line of saliva holding them together.  
Peridot blushed. "Well...that wasn't an undesirable feeling..." She said.

"Peridot...I love you." Mike whispered, and she looked surprised. But eventually, a small smile appeared on her face.

"...Same. You big, dumb, idiotic, stupid, sexy clod..." She replied. "You're crazy." She said as she pulled away from the embrace.

"Hey, can you blame me?" He asked. "You saved me from her so many times, it was time for me to finally return the favour!"

"Ugh, I am NO damsel!" She spat. "I just...had no chance of even scratching her." She sighed.  
"Hematite...Mike, whatever...look, I...I care about you, okay?! Jeez, just...!" She covered her hot face. "Jeez, you're basically forcing me to say it!"

He chuckled, rubbing his head. "I care about you, too...so, so much, Peri. Now...come on. Let's land this thing, and go home. To our home, with our friends."  
He offered his hand.

She turned, looking at it, arms crossed. She looked at it, then at him with disdain. Then...she thought about it.  
She didn't want the feeling she had with him to go away...it was...too amazing. Hm...perhaps...she will stay. Just to humor him, and because she had nowhere else to go. And heck, whatever they just did with their mouths...she wanted to do that again. And maybe even...fuse again.

She groaned, and took the hand, but she smirked, giving her trademark "Nyeh, heh heh..."  
"I'm going to regret this, but...very well. Let us return home, you dumb clod..."

He smiled, maybe the biggest smile of his life, and led her to find the others, ignoring the pain of his arm.  
Finally...things were looking up for him. For all of them...

* * *

 _ **Homestretch, people! We're nearly done! Just the epilogue is next! Thank you so much for following me in this story for so, so long!**_  
 _ **And never fear, this isn't the end! All will be explained in the epilogue! Go to the link here to my friend's stash to see a pic of Turquoise!**_ ** _/0c0ekz0l9s6_** _ **As always, reviews are very appreciated! Until then...**_

 _ **Ciao~!**_


	30. Chapter 28: The End!

**_HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, everybody! Yeah yeah, where's my ugly mug been, all I needed to write was the epilogue! I'm SOOOOOO sorry guys, that this took so long! I just want to thank you ALL for your patience, your loyalty and your loving comments with me on this LONG journey we've had together! With months since the last installment...I present you with the FINAL, definitive end to this story, since it's inception TWO YEARS ago on the 5th of this very month!_**

 ** _With that, leave a fav, a follow, and a review for the last installment of Goodbye, Homeworld!_**  
 ** _And I sincerely, from the BOTTOM of my heart, hope you all enjoy the conclusion_**

 ** _Now...let's get this started._**  
 ** _-_**

Over... It was _finally_ over...that was all Mike could think about as he stood on the deck of the beach house, gazing at the sunset horizon, the beautiful reds and oranges blending with the sky and ocean beautifully.

Jasper was defeated, Peridot had planted her feet firmly with the Crystal Gems...well, with Mike, at least. The others would take a bit of convincing, but...it should work out, with Steven around!

Even Lapis, the Greg-dubbed 'Water Witch' herself decided to stay with them...albeit her hatred for Peridot still VEEERY out in the open.  
Other than that...everything seemed to be tied up in a nice little bow.

Mike sighed, as he felt the cool ocean breeze hit his face, thinking to himself about how he never expected to have a happiness like this.  
Friends, a mate, a home, surrounded by people to accept his faults, rather than insult and hate him for...it was a life he never would have had if he had never met Steven Universe...a care for all life not seen since his Mother's time.

And Peridot...after years, so, so many years of being too cowardly to confess his feelings to his crush, finally had her.  
Had her...hah, that was a weird way of putting it. More like...they finally accepted each other.  
And not only did she know of his feelings, but she reciprocated them, and they were together now, despite her ego...more or less making her deny the feelings most of the time. But it was still very much clear that she cared.

As annoying as it could be though, her ego was one of the most enjoyable things about the green Gem. He was just glad it could happen.  
And Turquoise...holy moly, he never expected that. He didn't just feel powerful like that. He felt...complete. Whole. He felt as one.  
One day, he'd love to do it again with her. Fusion...  
He sighed, and closed his eyes, as all the others prepared inside. Steven decided to throw a party now that almost everything had been wrapped up, and the others, him included, agreed, despite him not knowing for sure what a 'party' was.  
But nonetheless, he was excited. And he could help, but when he wanted to have some alone time, the others assured him they could handle it.  
Friends who didn't demand he work...it was strange.

But he didn't mind. Having freedom...he would never give that up again. Something he went this long without...it was nice to finally have it.

"...Hello." A familiar voice said.  
Mike turned slowly, to see Peridot standing at the doorway, a few inches shorter from her limb enhancers being gone, her eyes now standing across from his nose.

He smiled, giving a little wave. "Hey."

Peri nodded, and walked next to him, looking out at the sunset. "So...Earth, huh?" She said, uneasy.  
It was clear she wasn't comfortable yet with being on Earth, but he was convinced they could turn her around. Just like Steven did him.  
...Of course, there wasn't a doubt in his mind Steven would contribute as well, seeing as he tried to sway her numerous times previously.

He smiled. "Yeah..." He replied. "And having the freedom to just...relax." He sighed. "It's amazing, huh?"

She shrugged. "Eh...whatever you say. I am not entirely inclined to agree. Forgive me for being uncomfortable with my home being taken so suddenly."  
A pause, as she sighed. "...Apologies. I'm just under a bit of...stress. I thought coming to you would make it better. You..."  
She blushed a bright blue. "...make me feel good. Special, or...or something. I don't know."

Mike blushed as well, his silver cheeks lighting up. "Yeah...u-uh, me too...that is to say, you make me feel nice...too."  
He chuckled nervously, as did Peridot. She gave that little snort. "Yes, well...I suppose we should talk about..."

She gestured between them, walking up.  
"...This."

Mike slowly, gently reached for her hands. When he almost reached them, Peridot flinched slightly, pulling them away.  
Her face was alit blue, and she looked up at him.

Mike smiled slightly, assuring it was okay.  
He slowly reached again for her green palms...and she relented, gently handing them over.  
He squeezed the soft green hands gently, looking deep into her eyes.

"...I love you." He said quietly.  
Peridot rolled her eyes, looking away. "Ugh...come now, you can't possibl-mmph...!"  
She was cut off as Mike put a hand on her cheek, turning her head and planting his lips onto hers firmly.  
Peridot fought it off a little at first...but as she slowly started to realize...how perfect it was...she relented, letting a small moan escape her lips as she shivered, eyes rolling into her head before she closed them, ashamedly melting into the kiss, holding onto her lover tight.

The feeling of his warm lips, his firm, but gentle grip...maybe even that little bit of tongue...it all sent her emotional and physical stimuli raging.  
A feeling of pleasure? Ceeertainly. And in this moment, in their moment of silence, privateness...she saw no need to fight it.  
Give in, give in, her mind told her...and she did.

No interruptions, no Crystal Gems, no Jasper...just her. Just her, her basic emotions...  
...And him. This individual, this STUPID individual, whom somehow managed to worm his way into her life, into her...  
Was it called a heart?

And yet...she wouldn't give any of these feelings up for anything in the world.

After some tense, wonderful moments...they broke apart, a line of spit the only remnant, before also breaking.  
"I..." Peridot spoke, knees shaky. "I...I..."

She sighed. "...Fine! Fine, you stupid clod! I very much like you, too! Alright?! Is that what you wanna hear?!" She exposed her fangs as she whined,  
beating his head with slaps.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Mike grabbed her wrists. "Yeah, yeah!" He laughed. "A...A lot, actually."

Peridot paused.

"...Peri, from the FIRST day I knew you, bossing me around and telling me how to build stuff...I liked you right from the start."

She shrugged. "I...AM very likeable..."

"Exactly...and that like grew. Grew, and grew, and grew...Peri, I've loved you for years. Within the first two months, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you."

He stopped.  
"...That...might actually make me sound insane to anyone else, but..." He looked at her again. "I...am a clod, right?"

She snorted. "One of the biggest clods in this galaxy..." She replied, as if applying the most deadly of burns.

He chuckled, still finding her juvenile humour charming. "But, seriously...I've always loved you from that point on. And...I've always wanted to tell you.  
But...I was afraid. Afraid because...I thought...I thought if I told you, it...might have ruined our friendship if you rejected me. Even here on Earth,  
I've tried to keep it under wraps, because...well, I didn't want to overload you, as you'd put it...what with Jasper, Lapis, Malachite, the Crystal Gems,  
Earth...and me. But after we beat Jasper, after...we fused? I...I couldn't hold it in anymore, I just HAD to tell you. Y'know?"

He sighed. "It sounds stupid...but I was just trying to look out for you, all this time."

The green gem raised an eyebrow.  
She looked him dead in the eyes...and slapped him right across the face.

"OW!" Mike held his cheek. "What, what'd I say?!"

Peridot smirked. "...I'm not a damsel. I don't need to be...'looken after' like a pet. However..."  
She looked him up and down. "...I maybe have...shared these feelings. For a very long time. Though...I never knew what it was until you gifted me with that lip-pressing on the ship."

"Kiss."

"Whatever. The point is...I fully understand your actions, Hematite. Or, Mike...or, whatever. I see you as...a Gem discovering outward emotions."  
She looked down slightly. "...As am I. I've no idea of what this planet holds for me. Or your STUPID clod friends, or ANYTHING clod-related here.  
Which is everything. But...with you at my behest, following my every command...I will definitely give it a shot, as they say."

"Really...? You mean i-" Mike started, but the green gem covered his mouth.  
"Shuhsh! As long as you agree to be my servant! Bowing to my every whim, complementing 'The Great and Loveable Peridot!' whenever the opportunity presents itself, and otherwise obey me!"

Mike looked utterly befuddled. But...as much as it would likely be demeaning as all heck...he'd have to go along for now.  
"Hmhmm...mmkhy...?" He muffled behind her hand, nodding in agreement.

"Wonderful." Peridot smirked, taking the hand away. "I believe this arangement will benefit me greatly down the line, as well as allow me to keep you under my thumb! We keep our 'relationship', and you will...be a contributing benefactor in my understanding Earth customs!"

Oh, she was gooood...  
As she looked at his face, though...erm...

"...Oh, alRIGHT!" She admitted. "As a show of respect, and affection...I DO lohah...looooaaaugh..."  
She seemed to have trouble getting the word out.

"Loooeeoahahuuuuuuweeooooooouuuughoooo..."

"Love?" Mike tilted his head.

"Gah, I almost had it!" She bopped his head. "But...yes, that. L-o-v-e. I that you, ok? I LOVE you!"

Mike smiled, rubbing his head. "I love you too, Peri. Seriously."

And Peridot, in response...smiled.  
"...Seriously."

"Hey guys!" Another voice chimed in, as Steven emerged from the house, giddy as ever.  
"Everything's ready! The balloons, the cake, the party streamers and everything! The gems, my Dad and Connie are all waiting!"

The two gems looked at each other.  
Mike offered a hand. "Shall we?"

Peridot smiled, pecking him on the cheek.  
"We shall." She replied, before walking inside.

Mike stood there, a surprised looked as his cheeks flushed.  
It took a moment for it to click for Steven, however.

When it did...he gasped, slapping his hands onto his cheeks, jaw dropping and eyes shining like big stars.  
"You mean YOU TWO are-?!" He couldn't even finish out of excitement.

Mike laughed, rubbing the back of his head as he slowly nodded.  
"Yup...me and Peridot..."

"Oh my STARS, you gotta tell us EVERYTHING!" The giddy boy exclaimed, taking Mike's hand in both of his.  
"Oh man, this is AMAZING! So there was MORE to you fusing?! Oh man, this deserves a whole 'nother party! You gotta show us Turquoise, tell us about what she looked like...!"

As he excitedly rambled on, he led the silver gem back inside the beach house, where he met Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and a short dark-skinned girl around Steven's age, presumably the aforementioned Connie, and a large man with sun-burn lines, resembling Steven himself.  
Likely his father, and Rose's husband, Greg!

"HAPPY HOMECOMING PARTY, MIKE AND PERIDOT!" They all cried in unison along with Steven, with Peridot standing off to the side.

And...Mike smiled. The widest, biggest, happiest smile of his life as he thought to himself. He thought.  
He was okay with this. He was excited. Estatic. He walked forward with Steven and Peridot...

And the party commenced, the rest of their lives ahead of them.  
Adventures, parties, who knows what awaited...

But Mike was ready. This was all thanks to them. Thanks to the saviours of the Earth, the protectors of humanity...thanks to the Crystal Gems.  
Garnet...  
Amethyst...  
Pearl...  
Steven...

And now...Mike.  
And he was ready for what the future had in store.

 ** _-_**  
 ** _THE END._**

 ** _Wow...it's FINALLY over. After ALL this time...man, I can't believe this started before even Catch and Release...man, how times have changed._**

 ** _THANK YOU, everybody! For your loyalty, your reading, your REVIEWS, your favs, your follows...it all made this worth it. You made me continue,_**  
 ** _encouraged me to keep this story going, convinced me it was worth reading, that Mike was a good, likeable character...from the bottom of my heart,_**  
 ** _THANK YOU. So...what's next?_**

 ** _The Steven Universe landscape has changed A LOT since my last appearance, and ESPECIALLY since I started._**  
 ** _And the question you may be asking yourselves...will their be a sequel? Honestly...I can't say!_**

 ** _When I first started this story, and when I got my first fav, follow and reviews, I was white-hot. Enjoying writing every day, exciting to see the reviews I'd get upon posting, seeing your opinions and what you think...it absolutely warmed my heart._**

 ** _But now? Life's a changin', and I just don't feel the same way about writing. I wish I did, I really WISH I did. I'd stay up constantly until 4-5am just to finish writing/editing chapters. I was that obsessed. But now...I don't know. For some reason, the feeling seems to have...faded._**

 ** _But NEVER say never! All of the show developments, all the new characters like Aquamarine, Topaz, the Ruby Squad, New Pink Nice Lars, the Off-Colours...I get more and more invested each and every episode. I feel it has largely something to do with the LARGE hiatuses between episodes, the show now running new episodes EXCLUSIVELY on Steven Bombs which and far and far apart, instead of running weekly like EVERY other show like Rick and Morty...darn you, CN. But STILL! I get further and further into the show as it goes...and I definitely think that it's safe to say that there WILL be a sequel to Goodbye, Homeworld. When, I'm not sure. But you can DEFINITELY expect it comin'!_**

 ** _I will say this...this entire saga? This is only the BEGINNING._**

 ** _Until then...to all my loyal watchers, favers, and reviewers...until next time..._**

 ** _CIAO!_**


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